


The Nearly Dead Adventures of Tim Drake

by Myoneloveismusic



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, deals with Tim's "death"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-03-02 14:42:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 25,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13320327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myoneloveismusic/pseuds/Myoneloveismusic
Summary: Everyone thought Tim had died in the blast, but Jason Todd wasn't so sure. He was a little desperate and really certain that Tim was alive and trapped somewhere. While Jason flew around the globe for any tip of where he might be, Tim tried to fight his way out of his cell and contact his family for help. What neither of them realized was that there was something else motivating them entirely.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've posted several parts of this on Tumblr already, but a certain someone said they would've loved to read it from beginning to end. I don't pay attention to word count when writing updates since it has only been posted on Tumblr so far so chapter lengths vary. 
> 
> I wanted to write something that had to do with Tim's death and knew Jason wouldn't be the type of person to let it go even when all hope seemed lost.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Tim groaned and opened his eyes. Everything was blurry and he blinked several times to clear his vision. He was met with what looked like a gray wall and shot upright, having to take a moment when his head swam and his vision blurred again. 

The last thing that he remembered was being shot at by hundreds of lasers. He shouldn’t have survived. He should be dead. He’d been alone in the Belfry while the rest of the vigilantes had taken to the streets of Gotham to try and save everyone. 

“Where am I?” 

His voice echoed oddly in the silence. Everything sounded distorted and off. Tim wasn’t sure if it was because of the strange layout of the holding cell that he was in or if it was because there was an oppressive silence that he hadn’t noticed until he’d spoken. 

The cell didn’t seem to be like any one that he’d seen before, but that wasn’t saying much since he was most familiar with the cells in the Belfry and those in the GCPD buildings. 

Tim fiddled with the computer in his gauntlet, more than a little relieved when it came to life and glowed in front of him. He just hoped that he would be able to get some sort of line out. Because if he thought that he was a dead man, what was everyone else thinking now that he was gone?


	2. Chapter 2

Tim typed in several commands quickly, hoping to link to the outside network that Bruce had set up and that they were all supposed to have access to. His wrist vibrated and he grit his teeth in frustration when he was denied access. He typed in the override command and furrowed his brow when that didn’t work either. 

Finding ways to block the tech that Bruce and the rest of the vigilantes used was one of the most difficult things to accomplish. Tim knew that because he was one of the people who looked for any weaknesses or work arounds that might exist. 

He shut out of the interface and opened up his distress beacon instead. He drummed his fingers against his thigh several times. If nothing else was going to get through, this was the one thing that he had left. The only problem was that he would have no idea whether it was working or not. And if he had no way to get a message out, there was no way that one would come in. 

Taking a deep breath and hoping for the best, he pressed the button, making his gauntlet go red. He half expected to have someone come crashing through the roof seconds after he activated it, but was left alone in the crushing silence that he’d been left with before. 

He minimized the computer screen and leaned his head against the wall. He sighed and pushed himself to his feet. He couldn’t rely on someone getting the notification from his beacon. He didn’t know how long that was going to take. And he certainly wasn’t the type of person to just sit around and do nothing. 

There had to be a way to get out of the mess he was in and he was going to find it.


	3. Chapter 3

Jason stared at his computer at the footage of the smoking Belfry for what was probably the thousandth time. He felt something unpleasant constrict in his chest and he wasn’t ready to take the time to examine what exactly it was he was feeling. Everyone knew that being a vigilante was dangerous, but Jason was hoping that he would really be the last one who would have to suffer so much. 

As much as everyone else was believing that he was dead, Jason knew that couldn’t be true. Tim Drake was the one person who’d already suffered through so much and Jason couldn’t wrap his head around the possibility that he might be gone. He wasn’t going to believe it. And as much as everyone else was ready to give in, that wasn’t what he was going to do. 

There was something that everyone was missing. Some piece of evidence that Batman hadn’t even considered. Although, if anyone was to ask Jason’s opinion, he would’ve said that Bruce was all too ready to accept that Tim was dead and wasn’t going to spend the energy looking for him. 

But Jason wasn’t Bruce. 

And as much as he had on his plate with the Outlaws and as much as everyone else was going to think he was crazy for searching for someone who was dead, Jason was going to do it. 

It didn’t matter who he had to confront or who was behind this whole mess. He was going to solve this case. 

And if the millisecond capture on the footage where Tim disappeared right before the explosion happened was anything to go by, he wasn’t so crazy after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Jason’s motorcycle screeched to a stop in the midst of the Batcave. It had been a long time since he’d been inside of it, but he wasn’t about to become distracted by the memories when he had something far more important to do. 

“Jason,” Bruce said, without looking up from the computer. He had his uniform on, but the cowl was pulled back. 

“I have something that I need to show you,” he said, pushing his flashdrive in and pulling up the video footage that he’d watched more times than he could count. 

“What’s the point of this?” Bruce asked as he recognized the paused image of the Belfry. 

“I found something that might be of interest to you since you obviously haven’t been doing much when it comes to what happened to Tim.” 

Bruce’s eyes narrowed. “Jason, what’s this about?” His voice had dropped several octaves and Jason knew that he was getting into dangerous territory. If he’d been anyone else he would’ve been stammering out an explanation, but at that point he really didn’t care. 

“Just watch,” Jason said, playing the video. It moved through the footage at a reduced speed to make Tim’s disappearance before the explosion more obvious. 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” he asked when the video had finished. 

“Tim disappears before the drones fire on the Belfry,” Bruce supplied. 

“Exactly,” he said turning to him. “Which means that Tim is still alive out there and we need to find him. I don’t know who has him yet or why they took him, but we can’t just sit back and do nothing.” 

“I know that Tim isn’t dead,” Bruce answered evenly. 

“We need to start-wait, what?” Jason asked, sharply. 

“I know that he’s not dead,” he repeated. 

“How long?” 

“Jason…” he sighed. 

“How. Long?” Jason nearly snarled. 

“About a week.” 

Jason took a step back, hands balling into fists at his sides. “You’ve known that he’s still alive for a _week_ and you haven’t done anything yet?” 

“I’m working on gathering information and intel,” Bruce explained, turning back to the computer. 

“And you decided not to bring anyone in one this? We can help! Tim needs to be found ASAP. We can’t just leave him wherever he is!” 

“We can’t do anything until we know who has him and what threat they pose.” 

“So that’s what this is about,” Jason muttered. “Unbelievable. You’re willing to put Tim further at risk just for the sake of the mission.” He turned around angrily and started for his bike. “Well while you do that, I’m going to actually find him and get him out of whatever hell he’s probably in.” 

“Jason, wait-” Bruce said, but Jason ignored him in favor of swinging a leg over his bike and tearing out of the Cave. 

He had a vigilante to find and he wasn’t about to waste time waiting on the go-ahead from Bruce.


	5. Chapter 5

Tim carefully stripped himself out of his armor, his injuries smarting with each movement. Looking back, if he’d known that he wasn’t going to be blown to bits, he wouldn’t have fought back so hard against the drones and would’ve let them take him out in one shot. 

Several of his ribs were definitely broken, but he was almost certain that his leg couldn’t be much more than fractured instead of broken like he’d originally thought. The swelling in his cheek had stopped and he hoped that it would go down soon. Everything in him ached, but he knew that he couldn’t just be complacent and heal. He had to find a way out of wherever the hell he was. 

He let himself take a minute to sit back and catch his breath once he was left in his pants. He left his wrist computer to the side and kept it up to monitor the signals that he was putting out. He was once again glad for the long life in tech. He just hoped that it would last long enough for him to get out and get into the sun so it could charge. 

Tim got to work on building something that would release the locks on the door of his cell. Now that he was getting a better look at it, it almost seemed to be framed after a picture frame or a mirror. He didn’t even want to begin speculating as to why that was, because he knew that it couldn’t be for anything happy or pleasant. And he was really not in the mood to play the damsel in distress any more than he already had. 

As soon as he had a working electromagnetic gun working, Tim slipped his armor back on and readied his weapons. He released the locking mechanisms and used a smoke bomb to conceal his exit as he ran down the hall. 

He gasped when he felt a familiar tingling sensation surround him. 

“No-” 

Before he could utter much more than the one protest, he found himself back in the sealed cell that he’d just left. Tim fell to his knees as despair took over. He tried to fight it, but when his signals most likely weren’t getting out and he had no idea where he was, it was harder to believe someone was coming for him. 

“Please,” he pleaded softly. He didn’t know if that was for anyone who might be looking or for the people who were keeping him there.

He checked his wrist computer again to make sure that the signals were still broadcasting. Not that they were actually doing much, but it was a small reassurance regardless. He sat back on his heels and looked around himself, knowing that he needed to work on freeing himself, but not having an idea of where to begin.


	6. Chapter 6

Jason growled as he threw a few bits of extra clothes on top of his uniform in the duffel bag that he was packing. He didn’t have much intel to go off of, but he knew that there was one person who was almost always aware of the dark and sinister things that were going on in the world. 

The sound of his window being pushed open had him groaning in the middle of retrieving his computer to add to his things. 

“What do you want, Dick?” he asked, giving him a sharp look. “I don’t have time for you to try and convince me to go back and work with B on this. I’m not about to waste another minute as much as he wants me to.” 

Dick shook his head and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking far more serious than Jason was used to. 

“I’m not here to convince you to come and be a good boy like Bruce wants.” 

Jason quirked an eyebrow. “Then what are you here for?”

“I want to help you find Tim. I thought…” he trailed off, looking slightly ashamed of himself. “I _foolishly_ thought and assumed that Tim was dead and there was no way that he could’ve survived that attack. I didn’t even bother to consider the possibility of looking for him.” 

“No one else did,” Jason shot back bitterly. 

He felt guilty at Dick’s wince. 

“What I’m trying to get out is…I already screwed up once. I made the stupid decision to just let it go, but that’s not good enough anymore. I’m not going to wait around any longer. I want to help you. I want to find Tim.” 

Jason looked at him for a minute before nodding. “Okay,” he said, slipping his laptop into his bag before pulling the zipper closed. “I don’t have much to go on since I only made the connection from the video, but I don’t think that Tim is still here in Gotham. I think if he was, we might’ve gotten something already. And from the military involvement and the obvious scope of resources that are on hand, I think this thing is much broader than the continental U.S., let alone Gotham.” 

Dick nodded. “Makes sense. So where are you headed?” 

“Overseas. If there’s one person who might have a shred of information on where to start or where Tim is or who’s behind this, it’s going to be Ra’s.”

Dick nodded, looking determined. 

“If you’re coming, go get packed and meet me at the airport. Our flight leaves in three hours. I’ll get your ticket booked,” he said, slinging the duffel over his shoulder and heading towards the door. 

_“I’m coming to find you, Tim,”_ Jason thought to himself. _“I won’t let you be forgotten about.”_


	7. Chapter 7

Jason sat on the plane with his arms crossed. There was a screaming baby somewhere near the back and Dick was leaning onto his shoulder snoring softly, but he felt rather calm, all things considered. 

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he couldn’t do anything from ten thousand feet up in the air. Or maybe it was the overwhelming sense of rightness that he knew he was headed in the right direction even if he wasn’t positive yet. 

He still had to talk to Ra’s after all. 

But he was closer. He was on the path that would free Tim from whatever hell or prison he’d been trapped in. He was going to set him free and bring him back to Gotham. Hell, maybe he’d even keep away from Gotham so that Bruce couldn’t fuck things up anymore. 

Tim deserved better than that. 

“Attention passengers, the fasten seatbelt sign is on and we ask everyone to remain in their seats as we approach our descent to our final destination. Thank you for flying with us.” 

Jason nudged Dick who sat up and rubbed at his eyes blearily, quickly focusing when he realized why he’d been woken up. 

————-

Tim stared at the wall in front of him and at the shadowed hallway beyond. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been trapped, but he knew that a day or two, more most likely, had passed. 

He hadn’t experienced any pain beyond his initial injuries which had somehow stopped hurting. He wasn’t sure if they were healed or if he was numb to the pain. Or maybe his cell had some sort of properties that didn’t let him feel what was hurting him. Whatever the case was, he wasn’t about to test out to see if he wasn’t healed or not. 

He also hadn’t been hungry and never felt the need to use the bathroom. He was sure both cases were also effects of his cell. 

All signs should’ve pointed to him feeling completely fine, but Tim felt uncharacteristically weak. He slept and spent most of his time curled up against the wall with his cape wrapped around him, but even the thought of trying to stage another escape attempt was exhausting. He didn’t have it in him to try and find a way out. 

He could only hope that someone would find him before he got worse. 

Who knew if the next time he fell asleep he wouldn’t wake up?


	8. Chapter 8

Despite the ten swords and probably five arrows that were currently aimed at his throat, Jason didn’t lower his guns from where they were trained on Ra’s. 

“Jay,” Dick hissed. He was holding his escrima sticks above his head, but not willing to let them fall into enemy hands. Jason couldn’t blame him. 

“Is there something you need?” Ra’s asked coolly. “From your behavior, I suspect the detective doesn’t know that you’re here.” 

“That’s beside the point,” Jason growled. “We want information. And if anyone has the answers I’m looking for, it’s you.” 

Ra’s clasped his hands behind his back and turned to look out the windows and the enclosure beyond. 

“I’m looking for Red Robin.” 

“Ah, so you believe that he’s alive?”

“I know he is. And I know that you know where I can find him.” 

Ra’s looked over his shoulder at Jason and smiled. “Perhaps, but I’m certainly not about to tell you when you have a gun pointed at my face. I won’t have your weapons taken from you, but I do suggest you put them away.” 

Jason growled and Dick opened his mouth to argue with Jason when he lowered his guns and clicked the safety back on before slipping them into his thigh holsters. Dick followed suit by clasping his escrima sticks onto his back. 

The swords pointed at their throats didn’t move an inch. 

“There, that wasn’t so hard now, was it? You’ll find Timothy Drake in an enclosure hidden in the mountains. It’s not a location that I would’ve chosen since there’s no snow to conceal the place, but the building is hidden extremely well. Let me bring out a map and I can direct you the right way.” 

He walked over to one of the many shelves and pulled down a rolled up piece of paper. 

“But do understand that you’re not getting this information free of charge. You will be expected to pay me back when events require it.”


	9. Chapter 9

Tim struggled to keep his eyes open. He felt a deep chill in his bones that had nothing to do with the external temperature. The cell around him wasn’t cold, but he knew that something was seriously wrong if he was shivering and was having trouble staying awake. 

He knew that he needed to keep his eyes open, but he didn’t know how much longer he could manage that or if he would even wake up after they closed. And there was no telling if someone was on their way to free him. Or if they were even coming at all. 

He still hadn’t experienced any hunger or pain, but it was a struggle to even move into a more comfortable position. 

The sound of a muffled bang, caught his attention and he forced his eyes back open, sluggishly moving his head to look down the hall that he’d once flown down to try and make an escape. 

Another bang resounded and Tim’s brain worked to try and make sense of things. Thinking was becoming increasingly difficult. 

The door at the end of the hallway was kicked to the floor and Red Hood rushed through, Nightwing stopping in the doorway to watch for any more attackers after taking out a security android. 

“Red Robin,” Jason said, kneeling down in front of him opposite the glass. “Fuck, we need to get you out of there.” 

Tim nodded slowly and watched as Jason got to work on the control panel. It wasn’t even two minutes before the glass was disappearing again. 

“Come on, let’s get you out of here,” Jason said, hurrying over to him. 

Tim tried to move, but his movements were slow and drained him of energy. Jason didn’t hesitate before scooping him up in his arms and running back towards Nightwing. Tim sagged against Jason’s chest, fighting against his heavy eyelids. He wasn’t free yet and argued with himself that he needed to stay alert. 

“Let’s move,” Jason said. “We need to get him back on the ship and get out of here.”


	10. Chapter 10

Jason got Tim settled on one of the emergency cots in a jet that Tim didn’t recognize. He assumed that they’d commissioned it from someone nearby or had borrowed it without asking. Either way he wasn’t complaining, more than happy to let the padding consume him now that he was leaving his uncomfortable cell behind. 

“Nightwing get moving. I’ll assess Red Robin for injuries.” 

“Copy,” Dick said from somewhere further in the ship. 

Tim looked up as Jason pulled off his helmet. Concerned blue-green eyes took in his face and Tim did his best to smile. He was sure that it was small and tired, but he didn’t care. 

“Looks like you found me,” he murmured. 

Jason’s hands cradled his face for a minute, before moving south to check his ribs and chest. 

“Are you in any pain? Any injuries? I know you put up a fight before you disappeared. Did they treat you?” he asked. 

“Dunno,” he muttered. “They left me in that cell. The pain just sort of disappeared after the first day I think? The only think I’ve started to feel is tired. Never got hungry and never had to use the bathroom.” 

The concern in Jason’s eyes grew. “I don’t feel and breaks, but that doesn’t mean there’s not an injury somewhere. We’ll get a proper doctor to look over you soon. Can you handle swallowing a drink?” 

“I can try.” 

Jason sighed. “That’s better than nothing.” He pulled a cup filled with blue liquid from a shelf and shook it quickly to mix the contents. He ripped off the paper lid and helped Tim sit up before easing the cups to his lips. 

Tim drank slowly, both from exhaustion and from not knowing how his body would react. He took not immediately throwing up as a good sign and was able to finish the drink. 

“There,” Jason said, easing him back down on the cot. “That should hold you over for a little while.” He tossed the cup in favor of wrapping a thick blanket around his slender frame. 

Tim sighed and let his eyes slide shut, finally feeling a bit of the chill ebb away. “Thanks, Jay.” 

“You’re welcome, Tim. Get some sleep and we’ll get you checked over by a doctor soon.” 

“Okay…” he said, sleep already tugging at him as a hand settled in his hair and brushed a couple of strands back.


	11. Chapter 11

Tim opened his eyes slowly. The smell of antiseptic burned his nose and he blinked several times to keep his eyes from watering. He shifted. listening to the crackle of plastic beneath him. 

He caught sight of an IV bag hanging next to him and followed the tube to where it connected to his arm. He was covered in a heavy blanket that was keeping him warm, warmer than he’d been in what was probably days. He looked towards the opposite side of the hospital bed and saw Jason’s head pillowed on his arms. 

He must’ve been asleep for a while if he was still in such an uncomfortably looking position. 

The door opened slowly and Tim watched a man in a white lab coat walk in. He smiled at Tim. 

“Looks like you’re finally awake,” he whispered. “I was starting to get worried that your friend might throw a fit if you didn’t wake up soon. This is the first time I’ve seen him sleep since you were brought in.” 

“How long have I been here?” Tim asked, matching the doctor’s volume. 

“A couple of days. Your body needed the rest. I’ve never seen anything like this. It was almost as though your body was experiencing the effects of malnutrition and dehydration without the pain. Your friends had concerns that you would have internal injuries: bleeding or breaks, so we had to take x-rays, but there was no signs of any of that. Your body really just needed rest and fluids. If you’re up to it, I’m sure we could give you something to eat by the end of the day.” 

Tim nodded. “Yeah, sure.” 

“I’ll just take a quick look at your vitals and if you don’t have any more questions for me, the two of you can have some time alone.” 

“Yeah, thanks,” he muttered. 

The doctor went through his list and made several notes, but didn’t pay him any mind. Instead, his attention was solely focused on Jason who was still sleeping next to him. 

Once the door shut softly behind the doctor’s back he let his hand rest on Jason’s head, fingers tangling in his hair.


	12. Chapter 12

Jason groaned and shifted. “Tim?” he mumbled. 

“Jason…” 

His eyes flew open and he bolted upright, forcing Tim’s hand from his head. 

“Tim! You’re awake! When did you wake up?” He pushed himself from his chair and cradled Tim’s face in his hands. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?” 

“I’m a little groggy, but for the most part okay. I just woke up a couple of minutes ago. The doctor came in while you were still sleeping and gave me a rough rundown of what happened while I was out.” 

“Good, good.” Almost reluctantly, Jason let his hands fall from Tim’s face and he found himself missing the feeling. The warmth that came from it. He sat back down in the chair next to the bed and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Are you hungry? Do you need anything else?” 

“Not right now. I might be able to eat something later. I could use some water though.” 

“Right, right, of course.” Jason jumped to his feet and grabbed the water pitcher, pouring a small glass and handed it to Tim, making sure that he wasn’t about to drop it before he stepped back. 

Tim took a small sip, grateful for the cool liquid as it coated his throat. 

“Tim-” Jason started and stopped. Tim waited for him to continue. He opened his mouth to add something when the door was pushed open. 

“Wakey wakey, Jas-Tim!” Dick said, grinning. He ran over to the side of the bed. “You’re awake! Little bro, how are you feeling?” 

Tim couldn’t keep the smile off his face even if he tried. Dick’s energy tended to have that effect on a person. “I’m good, just a little groggy.” 

“You think you’ll be ready to head home soon?” he asked. 

“God, yes,” he sighed. “I’m ready to sleep in an actual bed.” 

Dick grinned. “Well I think we could have you out of here in a matter of hours. I’m going to go see the doctor and see what I can do.” 

“Thanks, Dick.” 

Tim watched him slip back out the door and barely caught Jason staring at him before he turned away to look back out the window.


	13. Chapter 13

Tim was grateful that he only had to stay in the hospital for a few more hours for observation before he was released. The doctors wanted to make sure that he could keep food down before they let him go. Eating was slow-going, but it did happen and Tim was more than happy to leave the hospital behind. 

Jason helped him from the bed, but his legs were wobbly so they brought a wheelchair for him. 

Dick walked down the hallway ahead of them, humming a tune while Jason pushed Tim through the bright halls. He leaned his head back and Jason ruffled his hair. 

“Hey!” he protested, swatting his hand away with a chuckle. 

Jason grinned, but didn’t say anything. 

Dick helped Jason get Tim in the car and Tim was left to situate himself while Jason returned the chair and Dick climbed into the front seat. 

“Where to, Tim? Do you want to get back to your place or the Manor?” 

“My place. I think I need about a day to rest before I try and see everyone else. I’m assuming they know I’m okay?” 

“We sent a report back as soon as we found you,” Jason said, joining Dick in the front. “A few people stopped by when we first got you to the hospital so they know you’re alive.” 

“I can see them later. I’m sure Alfred’ll want to throw a huge dinner for all of us anyway.” 

“I’m pretty sure he started planning days ago,” Dick added with a grin. 

Tim hummed and leaned back against the seat. He watched the hospital entrance fall away as they left and entered the crowded streets of Gotham. He didn’t pay attention to much as they drove, letting the scenery blur together. If he was being honest, he didn’t have the energy to pay attention to all of it. 

After what must’ve been months with nothing to look at but blankness and his own reflection, the stimulation was too much to soak in all at once. He wanted nothing more than to shut himself behind his apartment door and take a minute to soak in everything that had happened. 

The fact that he’d been taken. That he thought he was going to die, but he didn’t. Jason found him. The fact that it was Jason who’d been looking for him. 

It was a little too much to think about all at once. But maybe he could make sense of it after a night on the couch with a box of pizza.


	14. Chapter 14

Tim groaned when Jason eased him down onto his couch. 

“You okay?” Jason asked, worry evident in his eyes. 

“Yeah, just stiff and sore,” he said with a smile. 

Jason nodded and took a couple of steps back, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Do you need anything else or are you okay to manage by yourself?” 

Tim looked around at his spotless apartment. The feeling of the soft cushions pressed into his back was a welcome relief. “I think I’m okay. My day probably isn’t going to get more interesting than ordering a pizza.” 

Jason smiled and turned away from him. “Well if you need anything else, you’ve got my number.” 

Something in Tim’s chest tightened at the sight of Jason’s back to him. “Yeah…” he said, voice dropping off. 

Jason looked back over his shoulder. “You sure you’re okay? I don’t mind staying if you need someone.” 

Tim shook his head. He was supposed to be strong. He’d made it through an isolated imprisonment. He shouldn’t have any problems being in his own home by himself. He had all of the comforts that he’d been denied for so long. There was no reason for him to be nervous or anxious. He pasted on another smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. You probably have better things to do anyway.” 

Jason didn’t look very convinced but he nodded and headed towards the door. 

The feeling returned with a vengeance and he felt panic add itself to the mix. He tried to tamp it down but he almost felt like he couldn’t breath. 

“Jay-” he gasped, panic finally creeping up his throat. 

Jason froze and turned to look back at him. He was nearly halfway of the couch, knuckles white from how hard he was gripping the couch cushion. He hurried back over to him and pushed him back against the cushions. Tim gripped his shoulders to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere. 

“Tim what’s wrong. Talk to me, what happened?”

Tim screwed his eyes shut. “I’m sorry. It’s stupid-” 

“It’s not stupid,” he broke in vehemently. “Now talk to me. What happened?”


	15. Chapter 15

Tim’s fingernails dug further into Jason’s shoulders when he tried to move. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jason said slowly. “I’m just going to sit down on the couch next to you.” 

Tim nodded and tried to get himself to loosen his grip. He was still very much on the verge of not being able to breathe. Jason moved carefully, sitting down on the couch next to Tim and taking his hands from his shoulders to hold them between his own so Tim wasn’t stretching awkwardly. 

“What’s going through your mind, Babybird?” he asked, rubbing circles into the back of Tim’s hands. 

Tim focused on the sensation of Jason’s fingers rubbing against his skin and felt the pressure on his chest loosen slightly. He shook his head. 

“I dunno. Just…seeing you walking away and knowing I was going to be left alone made me panic. It feels crazy. I managed to make it through isolated imprisonment without a sign of another living being, but now the thought of being alone again…” 

“It’s scary,” Jason supplied. 

Tim nodded. “Yeah,” he breathed. 

“You’ve been through a lot, Tim. It’s understandable that it would’ve had an effect. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with you needing someone around,” he said, grinning. 

Tim smiled back. “Thanks, Jay.” 

“Don’t thank me yet,” he continued, giving Tim’s hands a squeeze. “We need to get some food into you and give you some time to enjoy a night in without having to worry about anything else.” 

“Sounds great.” 

“Perfect,” Jason said, letting go of his hands so he could pull his phone from his pocket. “Now what kind of pizza do you want?” 

“A big one,” Tim said with a chuckle. 

Jason rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You’re not as funny as you think you are.” 

“Shut up,” Tim said, swatting his shoulder. 

“Yeah, I’d like to place an order for delivery,” Jason said into the phone. “Large pepperoni pizza. Uh-huh yeah.” 

Tim listened as he rattled of his address before hanging up. 

“Now, it’s time for you to pick a movie while we wait for food to get here,” Jason said, pushing Tim up from the couch. 

Tim rolled his eyes, but made his way over to the shelves of DVDs he’d collected over the years. 

He’d managed to make a small pile of things to watch when the doorbell rang. Jason took care of paying the pizza guy and grabbed a couple of plates before setting up the food on the coffee table. 

“Now get one of those movies popped in and get over here so we can eat, I’m starving,” Jason said, already pulling a slice of pizza free from the box. Tim smiled and loaded the disc before joining Jason back on the couch. 

He took the plate that was offered to him and sat back, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from Jason’s skin.


	16. Chapter 16

Tim stifled a yawn as the credits for their third movie rolled. Darkness had long since fell on Gotham and Tim hadn’t even considered going out to patrol. His legs were thrown over Jason’s waist and Jason had an arm around his shoulders. 

“You should go to bed,” Jason said, ruffling his hair. 

“No. One more,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. 

“No, you need to sleep,” Jason said, reaching for the remote. 

Tim swallowed as his stomach flipped. Memories of not knowing if he would wake up rose to the surface. The suffocating darkness he knew would press in on him as soon as the lights went out would return. 

He tensed when Jason shifted under him. 

“Tim?” he asked. 

Tim swallowed, instinctively curling his fingers in Jason’s shirt. It felt like there was a weight pressing down on his chest. 

“Tim what’s wrong?” Jason asked, voice frantic. 

The darkness was already coming for him, pressing around the sides of his vision. It was taking his breath from him. He was losing himself, becoming swallowed up. 

“Tim!” Jason said, gripping his chin. Tim blinked as Jason’s face came into focus. “Tim you need to calm down. Breathe, Babybird.” 

He tried sucking in precious oxygen, but choked. 

“Tim, you’re shaking, calm down. I’m not leaving you, I promise,” Jason said, pulling him closer. 

Tim gasped, trying to relax enough where he could breathe. “Jay…” he said, weakly. 

“I’m here, Tim. I’m not going anywhere.” 

“I can’t-the darkness-it-I won’t-” 

Jason looked around for something. He huffed and scooped up Tim in his arms, keeping him close as he moved through the darkened apartment. He flipped on lights as he went, bathing them in the harsh glow. Jason gently laid Tim on his bed and settled down on the mattress next to him, keeping him wrapped in his arms. 

Tim fisted his hands in Jason’s shirt, trying to relax. Jason rubbed his back, striving to soothe the muscles there. 

“You’re not trapped,” Jason murmured. “You’re going to wake up because you’re safe. The darkness can’t touch you here. I won’t let it touch you.” He dropped a kiss on Tim’s head and he would’ve been embarrassed if he could’ve focused on much more than breathing. 

The words Jason was murmuring blended together into a soft lullaby that he had no hope of deciphering. That combined with the rhythmic movements of his hand on his back, helped to ease the tension in his muscles. 

Tim finally relaxed enough to breathe again, the panic ebbing while it retreated to its dark corner. Tim curled into Jason, feeling exhausted and mentally and emotionally drained. As much as he tried to fight the pull of his eyelids, his exhaustion won over and he lost himself to sleep and the sound of Jason’s voice.


	17. Chapter 17

Tim shifted, feeling warm and content. There was a weight over him and around him, but it wasn’t suffocating. It was something he hadn’t had in a long time, like a weighted blanket meant to provide comfort and ease anxiety. 

He blinked his eyes open and was met with the dip in Jason’s collar, one of the many scars on his chest peeking over. His hands were curled between their bodies, fingers, curled around a small bunch of fabric. 

He shifted, rubbing the fabric of Jason’s shirt between his fingers. He glanced up at his face. Jason’s eyes were closed, hair mussed as his shoulders gently rose and fell with each breath he took. His expression was relaxed, momentarily free of any stress or strain that might plague him during the day. 

Tim’s hand stilled as he watched Jason’s face, took in the dusting of freckles across his nose and cheeks and his soft, plump lips that were barely parted on a soft breath. He thought over the past few days and everything that had happened. 

Jason had been the one who hadn’t given up on him and did everything to find him. He’d kept him close when they left his confinement and calmed him countless times in the airplane and even in his own home. He’d stayed by the side of his hospital bed like someone who loved him. 

Tim’s eyes fell from Jason’s face as his heart squeezed in his chest. He knew Jason could never care for him like that. Not when he’d clung to him helpless and needy. He let his head fall forward and rest against Jason’s chest, allowing himself this small moment of time before Jason would wake up and he’d be pulled back to reality. 

He released a barely there sigh and shifted. Jason’s grip unconsciously tightened around him and Tim swallowed back against the fact that he liked it. Like how possessive and protective it felt. He squeezed his eyes shut and fought to block out the rest of the world so he could revel and experience this feeling for a few moments. 

If it didn’t last, he had it now. He could keep this moment if nothing else.


	18. Chapter 18

Jason sucked in a breath through his nose, limbs stiffening as he pulled himself from sleep. His grip around Tim tightened, involuntarily pulling him closer against his chest. Tim swallowed thickly, fighting the urge to curl farther into his grip. 

Jason sighed and relaxed next to him, blinking his eyes open. 

“You awake?” he whispered. 

“No.” 

Jason chuckled and ran his fingers over Tim’s lower back, sparking something in his belly that he immediately doused. 

“Come on. I’m sure there are lots of things you want to do now that the world is at your fingertips. Work? Cases? Patrol?”

“It’s morning, Jay. Can’t patrol during the day.” 

He chuckled. “Come on. I think we can find something for you to do.” 

“You really don’t need to-” 

“Tim,” he interrupted. 

“Seriously, I don’t want to be a bother,” he whispered, staring at Jason’s shirt. 

Jason huffed. “What am I going to have to do to convince you you’re not a bother.” 

Tim furrowed his brow, trying to come up with some sort of response when Jason pulled him from the bed and threw him over his shoulder. He blinked as he got a very close eyeful of Jason’s ass and his arms hung limply below his head. 

“What-Jason what are you doing?” 

“I am going to cook breakfast,” he said, dumping him on the couch. “And you are going to hang out on the couch and read a book or something.” 

Tim watched him walk away, grin smug on his face. He relaxed into the cushions and let out a breath, realizing that keeping things uncomplicated was going to be much harder than he thought.


	19. Chapter 19

“Here you go,” Jason said, shoving a plate full of eggs, bacon, and were those pancakes?

“Uh, thanks,” Tim said, trying to come back to himself after not so discreetly staring at Jason in his kitchen. 

“So have you thought about what you want to do today?” he asked, throwing himself on the opposite end of the couch with his own plate of food. “Because staring off into the distance doesn’t suit you.” 

Tim blushed and took a bite of bacon. “I don’t know. I used to never stop doing stuff and now…I don’t know what to do.” 

“You just need to find your rhythm,” Jason said, leaning his head back to look out the window. “It’s gorgeous out. The sun’s shining and the sky is spectacularly blue for Gotham. Get out, get some sun. Maybe go to the park and get some ice cream. Shit like that.” 

Tim snorted into his food. “Is this your way of propositioning me into an afternoon with you?” 

Jason shrugged. “Why not? Sounds like a great afternoon for me.” 

Tim’s blush deepened. 

“So is that a yes?” he prompted. 

Tim nodded. 

~~

Tim sighed when they got to the park. Jason was right about it being a beautiful day. There was a gentle breeze that ruffled his hair and the sun left him feeling warm and safe despite being outside in Gotham. It was a pleasant change from the cold cage of his imprisonment. 

“Glad you came?” Jason asked as their feet hit the path that wove through the park. 

Tim nodded. “Really glad. I didn’t realize how much I missed…how much I missed the sun.” Jason nodded. “You know, it’s different when I’m shutting myself away working on cases or other stuff I guess because there’s always the option to go outside and I know the sun is going to be there, but being deprived of it…” He felt the usual feelings of claustrophobia rear their heads. 

Jason placed a heavy hand in the middle of his back and rubbed soothingly. It helped ground him. He wasn’t trapped. He wasn’t going to be trapped again. He was safe and warm and he was with Jason. 

“Thanks,” he murmured. 

“No problem,” Jason said, fingers curling around his shoulder and squeezing before dropping away. 

“What do you say we get that ice cream I was talking about?” Jason asked, pointing out the stand. 

“Jason we just had breakfast,” Tim said, amused. 

He shrugged. “So? Haven’t you ever had ice cream for breakfast growing up the rich boy you are?”

Tim chuckled. “You know Alfred would’ve never let that happen.” 

“But?” he goaded. 

He sighed. “But I did manage to do it once when I was growing up. That was right before ice cream got banned from the house because it made me sick. Turns out an eight-year-old doesn’t have enough self-control to make his own ice cream breakfast.” 

“Nice,” Jason complimented. “Come on, I don’t think one cone is going to hurt anything and you have already had food today.” 

Tim hummed in thought and Jason grabbed his hand, walking backwards in front of him and making him chuckle. 

“Okay,” he agreed. 

Jason whooped and turned to pull Tim along to the ice cream stand.


	20. Chapter 20

Tim curled his fingers around the ice cream cone and gave Jason a smile. He returned it and took his chocolate ice cream before handing off the bills to the vendor. He shoved the change into his pocket and turned back to the path he and Tim had been walking down. 

Tim licked a stripe around his vanilla ice cream and hummed as it melted over his tongue, closing his eyes. The sun warmed his face as the ice cream cooled his tongue. 

“It looks good on you.” 

Tim blinked his eyes open and looked up at Jason who was watching him. “What does?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“Feeling at ease,” he answered. 

Tim smiled and looked down at his ice cream. “It feels good, too.” 

The sound of a dog barking caught his attention and Tim turned to find a chubby bulldog hurrying toward them. Jason grinned and kneeled, holding out an open palm. The dog stopped and sniffed before licking his palm. Jason chuckled and ruffled his head. He looked up at Tim and smiled. 

Tim returned his smile and felt his heart stutter. He stepped back, shocked by the feeling. Jason’s hand froze and the smile fell from his face, replaced with concern. 

“You okay?” he asked. 

Tim shook off the feeling and nodded, forcing a smile. When Jason didn’t look convinced, Tim knelt down next to him and held out his hand for the dog who met him easily. He ran his fingers through his soft fur, trying to push the unfamiliar feeling away. 

He felt Jason’s eyes on him. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry if Antok is bothering you!” a girl said, running up to them. She hooked a leash onto his collar while he was still distracted. 

“It’s all right,” Jason offered, giving him one last scratch behind the ears before standing, his fingers brushing against Tim’s. 

Tim fought back the same unfamiliar feeling and stood as Jason continued to chat with Antok’s owner. His heart twisted when they shared a laugh and he looked away, taking a bite of his ice cream. He shivered as a chill ran through him from the snack. 

“Tim?” 

“Tim?” 

“Tim!” 

“Huh?” he asked, pulled from where he was staring off across the park. He turned and found Andtok and his owner had left. 

“Lost in your own head space?” he asked. 

Tim shrugged and looked down at his bitten-down cone.

“Come on,” Jason said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “There’s lots of fun stuff to do in the park.”


	21. Chapter 21

Tim slammed the bathroom door shut behind him. It was currently the only place he could escape to himself since Jason refused to leave him alone after he’d nearly had a full breakdown the day before. He didn’t trust himself to be alone either. He sagged against the door and slid to the floor. 

He stretched out his legs in front of him and let his hands rest in his lap. He stared down at his fingers, experimentally curling them and uncurling them on his thighs. He closed his eyes, head falling back against the door with a small thump. 

Images flooded his mind. Jason bursting through the door and breaking into his cell. Jason’s head pillowed on his arms at the side of his hospital bed. Jason walking away from him and the panic that settled in. Jason holding him on the couch. Jason’s face when he was sleeping. The way he looked petting Antok. 

The way he smiled at Antok’s owner like they could fit together as two pieces of a puzzle. 

Tim’s hand came up to grip the fabric of his shirt over his heart. It squeezed painfully in his chest at the last reminder. 

There was a soft rap on the door and Tim squeezed his eyes closed even tighter. 

“Tim?” Jason asked. “You okay in there?” 

He rapped against the door again. 

“Answer me, Tim.’ 

Tim opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He relaxed and let his eyes fall open so he was staring at the ceiling. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt and leaned forward. 

“Tim if you don’t answer me, I’m coming in there.” 

He pushed himself to his feet and stepped away from the door. It burst open and Jason stood there, He scowled, making Tim’s insides settle for a moment. 

“What are you so worked up for?” Tim asked, trying to walk past him through the doorway. Jason grabbed hold of his arm and turned him to face him. 

“You’re a little shit, you know that?” Jason growled, narrowing his eyes. 

Tim raised his eyebrows. “Oh is that all?” 

Jason pouted, making him smirk. 

“Whatever. You patrolling tonight or what?” 

Tim grinned, giving Jason all the answer he needed.


	22. Chapter 22

Tim took a deep breath of the polluted Gotham air and let it out in a sigh. He felt relaxed. The wind whipped at his cape and he was glad to be standing on top of Gotham once again. He had a new uniform that was a little loose around his waist, but he tightened his utility belt to keep it from getting in the way. 

He grinned and pulled his grapple free from his belt, shooting a line across the buildings. He’d convinced Jason to leave so he could get his own uniform. It had taken some time to get him to leave and he wouldn’t deny the panic that tried to settle in his chest at being left alone, but needing to get suited up for patrol helped to keep him grounded. 

Tim jumped, feeling the breathless exhilaration that came in the first few moments where gravity tugged him into a free fall before his line pulled taught and he swung back up to the opposite building. He only paused on the next rooftop to retract the line before he was talking off across the roofs, feet pounding the cement as he vaulted from one roof to the next, feeling a sense of freedom return. 

He felt light and weightless. Happy. A smile tugged at his lips in a way that would put off any criminal he ran into since he so rarely smiled when he was beating someone up. 

He shot off another line and whooped when he let his body fly, chuckling to himself when he flipped onto the next roof and kept running. 

“Someone’s in a good mood.” 

Tim grinned at Jason as he fell into step next to him. “How can I not be?” 

“Feels good?” 

Tim chuckled. “That’s an understatement.” 

The sound of an alarm stopped their banter and they changed course, heading towards the sound. 

“What have you got for us Oracle?” Tim asked, pressing his comm. 

“Bad building fire. Fire trucks are in the process of being dispatched, but you’ll get there first. Make sure everyone’s out of there.” 

“On it,” Tim said. 

They cut across buildings and streets, seeing the orange blaze before they even got close. There was a group of people huddled on the street, several people were frantic. Tim heard them calling the names of whoever was still inside. 

“Let’s go,” Jason said. Tim nodded and followed him through a broken window smoke was billowing out of. “I’ll take from here down. You take the top floors.” 

Tim nodded and headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. Most of the apartment doors had been left open, but Tim didn’t waste time darting in and out to make sure they were actually empty. 

The first few floors were clear before he started running into elderly residents and kids. He could hear Jason’s coaxing voice through his comm and worked harder, knowing they only had so much time. He was grateful when he saw the fire trucks arrive. He was almost done with his last floor when he heard the building groan and shake, making Tim nervous. 

He flew through the last rooms, finding them blessedly empty. “Hood we have to go,” he said into the comm. 

“Don’t worry, I’m on it, just have to get-fuck. Go!” 

“Hood? Hood!” Tim felt the floor under him crumble and gasped as it gave way and he fell into an abyss.


	23. Chapter 23

Tim coughed as dust and smoke settled around him. He wasn’t sure what had happened to the fire. He suspected it was still burning which meant he needed to get Jason and get out now. He struggled to move, pushing the boards and charred wood off of him. Most of it was still hot enough it practically burned him at the touch. 

He worked faster, coughing as he tried to get some form of clean air into his lungs. He was glad he was near the top of the building. He didn’t have much rubble to push through and was quickly met with fresh air as he burst through what used to be the roof. 

His breath caught as he looked around him and saw the flaming heap he was in. 

“Jason,” he whispered and scrambled to his feet. The crowd was still on the other side of the street as the firefighters worked to put out the flames that were still burning. 

“He’s okay!” someone shouted. 

Tim ignored them, knowing they wren’t talking about him. He slid down the side of the pile to where he thought the front of the building used to be. 

“Did my partner make it out?” he asked. 

The crowd quieted and several people shook their heads. Tim felt panic squeeze his heart. He turned back to the rubble and saw the sleeve of Jason’s jacket poking out of the wood. 

“Fuck,” Tim hissed, running towards him. He frantically pulled planks away, becoming more desperate as he slowly uncovered him. “Hood?” he asked, shaking him. “Hood, wake up. Come on, you can’t die on me here.” 

He pulled more of the wood away, uncovering Jason’s torso and head. He hit his comm. 

“Red Hood’s been hurt,” he choked out. “We need a transport.” He gasped out their location and shoved more of the building away, searching for Jason’s lower body. When enough of it was gone, he hooked his hands under Jason’s armpits and pulled, glad when his body shifted and he could drag him from the rubble. 

He rolled him onto his back and wedged two fingers under his helmet, searching for a pulse. 

“Come on, come on,” Tim chanted under his breath. “You can’t do this to me, J-” he cut himself off, trying not to sob in front of the crowd. “You can’t leave me,” he whispered. 

He heard the squeal of tires as the Batmobile rounded the corner and stopped next to them. The side door opened, revealing an empty vehicle. Tim hooked his arms around Jason’s back and under his legs, struggling to his feet. He stumbled over to the Batmobile and situated Jason as well as he could before climbing in after him. 

The door shut and the car drove off on its own. Tim gripped Jason’s hand and squeezed it between his own, fighting back the sobs that threatened to drown him.


	24. Chapter 24

Tim practically fell out of the Batmobile when it came to a stop in the Cave. Alfred was there with a gurney and Tim managed to move Jason onto it, watching helplessly as he was rolled away to be treated to. 

He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling his body shaking fiercely and fell to his knees. He felt like he was breaking apart and he’d only just started to get his sense of normalcy back. 

“Tim.” 

A warm hand settled on his back and his head snapped up to find Dick kneeling in front of him. 

“We need to get you looked over, come on,” he said, dragging him to his feet. 

Tim stumbled forward, willing his limbs to move. Dick supported his weight for him and helped him onto a medical table. His fingers reached up and deftly removed his domino mask, setting it to the side before working on undoing the pieces of his uniform, removing his gauntlets and utility belt before his cape and shirt. 

Tim sat numbly as Dick ran through the tests, fingers gentle and offering kind smiles even as Tim stared at nothing. 

“He’s going to be okay, Tim.” 

He didn’t look away from the point he was and wasn’t staring at. 

“But what if he’s not?” he asked. 

Dick ruffled his hair. “He is. Why don’t you come and find out?” 

Tim’s head slowly moved to where he was looking up at Dick. “What?” 

Dick smiled and patted his arm. “Come and see. He’s resting now, but Alfred finished treating him a while ago.” Dick pulled him to his feet and guided him around the edge of the medical table. 

There was a white curtain that was separating Jason from the rest of the Cave. He was tucked safely in bed. His eyes were closed and Tim was relieved to see his chest rising and falling gently. 

“Master Jason suffered several broken ribs in the collapse and a fracture in his leg. He is stable for the moment and should wake in a few hours when the medication wears off. Would you care for anything other than a chair at the moment, Master Timothy?” Alfred asked, stepping around the other side of the curtain. 

Tim shook his head. “No thanks, Alfred.” 

Dick gave him a pat on the shoulder before he moved off, giving them space. Tim sat down in the chair at Jason’s bedside and gripped his hand between his own.


	25. Chapter 25

Jason groaned and shifted, hissing when he felt his skin pull uncomfortably. 

“Looks like someone’s finally awake.” 

“The fuck?” he muttered. 

He chuckled. “You got crushed under a building you might be feeling a little sore.” 

Jason struggled to open his eyes and found Dick standing at the foot of his bed. He had one of his hands stuffed in the pockets of his sweats and was holding a tablet tightly in the other. He was smiling, but Jason could see the tightness around Dick’s eyes that gave away his worry. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

“You and Tim were rescuing people from a burning building and it collapsed. Everyone got out alive and you were the only one with serious injuries. Tim called for a pickup and got you back here after digging you out of the rubble.” 

“Fuck,” he swore softly, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. He could only begin to imagine what must’ve been going through Tim’s mind during that. “Where’s Tim?” he asked. 

“Open your eyes and look to your left.” 

Jason furrowed his brow, but did as he was told, freezing when he caught sight of Tim resting his head on his arms on the side of his bed. It was a complete reverse of what happened after they rescued Tim when he was the one at the bedside. There was a blue blanket draped around Tim’s shoulders and his eyes were closed. 

“How long have I been out?” Jason whispered, not taking his eyes off Tim. 

“Eight hours, I think? Tim’s only been out for a few after his exhaustion got the better of him. He refused to leave your side and only managed to pull himself away to go to the bathroom. Alfred couldn’t even get him to eat or drink anything.” 

Jason frowned, drawing a chuckle from Dick. 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure once he sees you’re awake he won’t have any trouble having something.” He sighed and Jason glanced up at him, seeing him look at Tim with a tender gaze. “You should really think about telling him, you know.” 

“What are you talking about?” Jason scoffed even as he felt his stomach sink in horror. 

“You should really tell him how you feel instead of insisting on dancing around each other. You’ll both be much happier being open with each other.” 

“I really don’t know what you’re talking  ab-” 

“Don’t insult me be trying to brush it off, Jay. I see the way you look at him. I witnessed how desperate you were when we were trying to find him. And I saw how out of it Tim was when he brought you in. He was on the verge of a breakdown. Just think about talking to him, would you? And if you have any more doubts, watch this,” he said holding out the tablet. 

Jason took it in his hand as Dick walked away. There was a paused video on the screen of the Cave’s security footage. He hit the play button and watched as the Batmobile roared into sight and screeched to a stop. Alfred rolled a gurney over as the door flew open and Tim stumbled out. He reached back inside and Jason watched his limp body get carried from the Batmobile and placed on the gurney. 

He didn’t even know Tim could lift him, but that wasn’t what shocked him the most. He watched as Tim watched him get rolled away. He wrapped his arms around himself and even from the distance of the camera feed Jason could see the shaking of Tim’s body. He watched as Tim dropped to his knees and curled in on himself. 

It made Jason’s heart twist painfully. He looked down at where Tim was sleeping, feeling all kinds of guilty for causing Tim even more pain.


	26. Chapter 26

Tim shifted and blinked his eyes open. His blurry gaze met the white of the hospital bed and he blinked a few more times to clear his vision. He groaned and sat up, staring dumbly at the blue blanket that was wrapped around him before pulling it tighter around his shoulders. 

“You’re awake.” 

He looked up at the voice and found Jason watching him. He stared at him for a moment before everything came rushing back. 

“Shit,” he said, stumbling out of his chair and letting the blanket fall from his shoulders. “Are you okay? When did you wake up? I-” he cut himself off and curled his hands into fists against the bed. 

“Tim,” Jason said, brushing his fingers over the back of Tim’s hand. “I’m fine. Just a little beat up, but you saved me. I’m okay.” 

Tim stared at where their skin contrasted. Jason wrapped one of Tim’s fists in his hands and worked to relax his hand. He watched as his hands were flattened against the bed. 

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Jason whispered. 

“I-what?” he asked, tearing his eyes away from where Jason’s hand was resting so close to his. 

“I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?” 

Jason had a soft smile on his face that Tim really wanted to spend more time admiring, but he forced himself to meet Jason’s gaze. His expression was tender and Tim didn’t know what to say. 

Jason smiled and wrapped his hand around one of Tim’s lifting it from the bed. Tim watched as he brought it up to his mouth and kissed his palm before rubbing his fingers over the skin. Tim could’ve sworn he was dreaming, because there was no way. 

He pulled his hand away from Jason’s fingers and brought it up to his cheek. Jason leaned into the touch. His breath stuttered in his throat and he closed the distance slowly waiting for Jason to push him away or to wake up from the dream he was having. 

But nothing came. Instead, their lips brushing against each other in a way that sent shivers down Tim’s spine. Jason’s fingers tangled in his hair and he brought him closer, their lips pressing more firmly.


	27. Chapter 27

Tim sighed when they broke apart, leaning his forehead against Jason’s and closing his eyes. 

“I never…I never thought…” he whispered. 

“I know,” Jason said, cupping his cheek and brushing his thumb across Tim’s skin. “I didn’t even think it was possible until Dick knocked some sense into me.” 

Tim smiled, opening his eyes slowly so his gaze could bore into Jason’s breathtaking blue-green eyes. “Dick knocked some sense into you? Seems a little backwards to me.” 

Jason breathed a laugh, eyes lighting up. “I know. But if he hadn’t, we’d probably still be dancing around each other.”

Tim’s gaze dropped and he cleared his throat. “So what does this mean then?” 

“I think it means that we like each other and we should do something about it.” 

“Oh?” Tim asked, glancing up at Jason through his eyelashes. 

Jason rolled his eyes and tugged on Tim’s arm, pulling him onto the bed even as the movement caused a sharp pain to radiate through his side. He shifted Tim around until he was curled into his side, head pillowed on his shoulder so he could rest his head on top of Tim’s. 

Tim’s arm carefully came to drape across his stomach. Jason pulled out the tablet Dick had left with him and tapped away at the screen until he pulled up a movie. Tim smiled and Jason balanced the tablet against his legs, letting it play so he could settle into a couple hours of not having to worry about anything else. 

~~

Tim reached for the tablet and paused the video before carefully moving the tablet off Jason’s legs. He’d fallen asleep minutes ago and Tim knew he needed the time to recover without possibly being woken up by the noise from the film. 

Jason’s arm was still tightly around him and his grip tightened when he shifted, but he stayed in place, not risking getting up from the bed. 

“Master Timothy,” Alfred said softly, turning the corner to where they were nestled. “Are you in need of anything.” 

“No thank you, Alfred. I’m fine. Would you mind setting this on the table over there, though?” he asked, holding out the tablet. 

“Of course, Master Timothy,” he said, taking the device and setting it within arms’ reach of Jason. “I will leave you and Master Jason to rest.” 

“Thank you Alfred,” he murmured softly before letting his eyes slide shut and sighing. A small smile pulled at his lips from the warmth that spread through him at being surrounded by Jason.


	28. Chapter 28

“Jason we’ve got a problem!” Dick screeched, rushing around the curtain to where he was still curled up in bed with Tim. 

Jason’s eyes narrowed and Tim lifted his head in question. 

“What is it?” he asked. 

Dick swallowed. “It’s Ra’s.” 

Jason’s grip tightened around Tim who looked up at him in question. “What does he want?” 

Dick glanced at Tim. “He wants you to fulfill your side of the deal.” 

“I can’t exactly do that right now, can I?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Dick wrung his hands together. “I tried to explain that to him, but...” He cleared his throat. “Apparently whatever he wants you to do is really time sensitive and if you fail to complete it, he’s going to take it as a personal attack on him.” 

“Of course he would,” Jason groaned. 

“I’ll do it.” 

Two heads snapped in Tim’s direction. 

“No,” Jason said, tightening his grip around Tim’s waist. 

“Why not?” he scoffed. “You’re injured and the last thing Dick wants would be to do something for Ra’s, so let me do it.” 

“Well...” Dick stated. 

“No way,” Jason said again. “Come on, Dick you can’t really agree to this.” 

Dick shrugged. “Tim knows how to handle Ra’s. He could probably do it.” 

“No.” 

“Jason...” Tim said, voice low. 

“How do we even know if Ra’s will take Tim in my place?” Jason asked. 

“I assure you it won’t be a problem.” 

Dick screeched and jumped to the side at his sudden appearance. Ra’s grinned. 

“It seems...appropriate considering the circumstances.” 

“I’ll be fine, Jason,” Tim said, pulling out of his grip. “I’ll be back before you know it and if you relax you’ll probably be recovered by then, too.” 

“I suggest you pack up your gear. My plane will be leaving soon.” 

Tim nodded and Jason felt his heart sink at watching Tim’s back fill his vision. Except Tim glanced over his shoulder and gave him a smile so genuine that it put his mind at ease a little bit. 

Tim would come back. He had to.


	29. Chapter 29

“So,” Tim said, securing his other gauntlet on his wrist, “what exactly is it you need me to do?” 

“There’s a base,” Ra’s said, unrolling a map on the table in the center of the plane. “They have some intel that I’m very interested in acquiring.” 

“So you want me to go in and pull the encrypted files from their computers and get out?” 

“It will be more complicated than that, but in essence that is what I am asking you do to.” 

Tim nodded. “Security systems?” he prompted. 

“They’re located in the center of the city. Sensors around the perimeter, numerous guards specializing in weapons from knives to guns and beyond and excellent in close combat. The location of their mainframe is in the basement which means-” 

“Easy to get in, but if they know I’m there, not the easiest place to fight out of.” 

“Except for the one flaw in their security. There’s an opening to the sewer. In the event of an emergency or to avoid further conflict and detection, slip into the sewer and it will lead you out of the city where we can retrieve you and the intelligence.”

Tim nodded. “I’m assuming you have digital copies of these blueprints.” 

“Mr. Drake, one would think that this was the first time we have shared knowledge with each other based on your questions.” 

“I just want to be sure that all of the bases are covered,” he said, tapping at his gauntlet. 

~~

Tim took a deep breath as he rolled to a stop on the rooftop several streets over from the target. He opened the map on his gauntlet and registered his location. The buildings around the main house were all lit up with the warnings of their security. 

He brought up his program to disable their precautions and watched as the buildings that immediately surrounded him went dark on his computer. He bit back a swear. Their systems were more powerful than he’d thought, meaning his progress would be slower. 

Looks like they really were protecting something important. Or dangerous. It wouldn’t be for long with Tim on the case. 

He crossed two buildings and stopped, waiting for the systems to switch over so the next few buildings went dark. He listened to the surrounding streets as he kept moving. Friendly chatter rose from cracked windows and laughter from others. If he was walking along the street it would’ve all felt normal and inconspicuous. 

But high-powered security systems did not normal make. 

Tim crawled along the next roof and stopped when he was on the building next to his target. He crouched next to the edge and looked over the edge. The alley was empty, but he could see people stationed at the windows. 

Getting in quietly wouldn’t be easy, but no one ever said he had to be quiet as long as he got the intel and got out without dying. Tim grinned, taking another few minutes to assess the pattern of the guards and took several steps back. 

He took a steadying breath before running to the edge and taking the leap.


	30. Chapter 30

Tim rolled over himself on the roof and kept low as he hurried to the side of the building. He leaned over the edge, hoping to find a window that didn’t have a light shining from it, but they were all shining brightly. 

“Oh well,” he said with a shrug and gripped the edge tightly, letting himself swing over the side so his boots hit the side of the building and let him walk across it. 

He got as close to one of the windows as he could without hanging in front of it. A guard holding a very large gun that Tim did not want to become acquainted with peered through the glass and down to the shadowed alley below. He moved off to continue his rounds and Tim dropped to the ledge in front of the window, quickly shifting his grip to the edge of the sill so he was hidden underneath it. 

He moved his grip to the sides of the ledge so the guards (hopefully) wouldn’t see his fingers. He was glad for the black gloves of his uniform. They’d keep him hidden for a little longer. He looked below him and after taking a deep breath, planted his feet on the brick so his body wouldn’t impact with the next ledge down. 

He released his grip and let gravity do the rest, stopping his descent by gripping the edges of the next ledge. He mentally ran through the blueprints in his head. Bottom floor on this side of the building would be the furthest side of the building and would be less likely someone would know of his entrance. 

As soon as he got through the window he would shut the lights off and get through the building using night vision and avoid any altercations that might stand in his way. He’d have two minutes before the generators came on and the lights were back up. Two minutes to get to the basement and get secure. More than enough time. 

He tapped his foot against the window and leaned back, watching as the guard came over and peered out. He squinted in the darkness and when he turned to move away, Tim tapped again. 

The guard slid the window open and stuck his head out. He didn’t get very far before Tim’s boot made friends with his face and he slumped down. Tim nudged the body back inside and crawled in after him. He tapped the electrical shutdown and counted under his breath. 

After five seconds the lights went out and he turned on his night vision. Confused shouts came from the other rooms, but Tim ignored them, taking off into the darkness as he kept track of the seconds. The place was a maze. He pulled his bo free and knocked out a wary guard who turned the wrong corner. 

He slipped past the body and turned the last couple of corners, finding the door he needed finally come into sight. He yanked it open and slipped inside, looking for a lock or something, but finding nothing. He pulled a link of rope free from his belt and secured it around the doorknob before tying the other end around the banister. He only hoped that would hold long enough for him to make his escape if someone came down to check on the basement. 

Soft murmurs came from below and he readied his bo before slowly descending the stairs.


	31. Chapter 31

Tim slunk down the stairs and saw someone waving a flashlight around. There were three men in the basement and he calculated the few seconds he had left. He jumped the remaining stairs and landed in a crouch before whacking the first guy on the back of the head. Much to Tim’s displeasure he grunted when he went down, alerting the others. 

He scrambled for his night vision seconds before the lights came back on and used the momentary blindness the other two experienced to take out one of them. The second guy recovered faster and pulled a gun, shooting wildly. Tim dodged the first few bullets and ducked under his range, swinging his bo to knock the gun from his grasp. Satisfied, he sent a hit to his head and watched him crumple to the floor. 

Tim hurried over to the computer and pulled the cord free from his gauntlet, hooking it into the USB port of the computer and activating his software. He watched as it downloaded, keeping an ear out for anyone who might be trying the door and scrolled through the files as they came up. 

His fingers froze when an image of a very familiar compound came into view and he was transported back to the cell he was locked in. He shook his head and looked through further files, encrypting them into his computer and making a back up copy. Ra’s would know. He knew Ra’s would know. And Ra’s would know he knew, but he’d still let him walk out with them. That was something he could be sure of. 

When the download was finished he retracted the cord and hurried past the downed guards to the corner where the grate was. One of them was starting to make some noise, but Tim would be long gone before he gained consciousness enough to remember anything or do anything about it. 

He pulled the grate free and slipped through, grimacing at the smell. He shut the grate behind him and hurried through the pipe. 

“I’m on my way to the extraction point,” he said, opening the communication link to Ra’s’ ship while he shut down the security dampener. If their sensors reacted to his presence they were going to have a hell of a time trying to figure out where they’d been triggered. 

“ETA?” 

Tim switched to the map and looked at his route. “Three minutes.” 

He splashed through some questionable water, but ignored it and moved on. His suit was going to require a deep clean when he got back and he was going to take an extremely hot shower. He splashed through another puddle. Or two. 

~~

The jet was barely landing when he broke through the last grate and sprinted across the field towards it. He boarded quickly and they were already taking off before the door was shut behind them. 

“The information?” Ra’s asked, holding out a hand. 

Tim popped free the flash drive that was hooked into his glove and held it out for Ra’s to take in his slender fingers. He walked over to his computer and hooked it up, looking through the files that were there. Tim’s fingers were itching to go through them himself, but he resisted the urge. He’d have plenty of time to pick over them as soon as he was back in Gotham. 

“Excellent, Mr. Drake. This is everything I need,” Ra’s said. 

“So Jason’s debt is paid?” 

“It is indeed. You have given me vital information on the organization that kidnapped you in exchange for my giving Jason the information to find you when you’d been kidnapped. I will return you to Gotham immediately.” 

Tim’s thoughts froze. Ra’s gave him a knowing smile before strolling to the front of the ship. Jason had gone to Ra’s. He’d gone to Ra’s to find him. He swallowed and thought he was in over his head because people didn’t just do that. At least not for him.


	32. Chapter 32

Tim was dropped back in Gotham several days after he’d first left. His suit had been sufficiently bagged and he’d changed into something clean, but he was in desperate need of a shower and barely spared a greeting for anyone he saw in favor of the showers in the Cave. 

He turned up the temperature as high as it would go and stripped out of the spare clothes he’d brought with him. He stepped under the spray and braced his arms against the wall, letting the water run over his head and back. 

He thought back over everything. He’d learned that Jason had gone to Ra’s and made a deal with him to find him and the intelligence Ra’s wanted had to do with the organization that had kidnapped him. 

He walked back into the main area of the BatCave in a daze, not paying attention to his surroundings until strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him close. 

Jason buried his face in Tim’s hair and breathed in deeply. “I’m so glad you’re back.” 

Tim sighed, letting the tension he hadn’t realized he’d been carrying around fall from his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around Jason and leaned into him. “It’s good to be back. Is Bruce around?” 

“Who cares?” Jason scoffed. “I just want to take you home and curl up in bed with you for a couple of days or a week.” 

Tim smiled. “As much as I would love to do that, I’ve got some important information that he needs to know about.” 

Jason grumbled something under his breath. 

“Come on, Jay. It’s not like you’ve actually avoided him since you’ve been laid up here.” 

“Doesn’t mean I want to see him.” 

“You’re going to have to get along some day,” he said, pulling away. 

Jason grabbed onto his arm to stop him. “Aren’t you just a little bit angry?” 

“At what?” Tim asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Come on, Tim. I know you’re not that thickheaded.” 

Tim sighed and looked down at the floor between them. “I don’t know. I haven’t really had time to think about it. I haven’t thought about it since I got back. I stopped thinking about it when I was imprisoned for my own sanity because I knew that once I started down that road there wasn’t going to be any going back.” 

“Maybe you should think about it,” Jason said. “Before you jump back into all of this stuff.” 

Tim shook his head. “Later. There’s something else I need to take care of first.” 

He tried to move away again, but Jason didn’t let up on his grip. “Don’t do this to yourself, Tim.” 

“Do what?” Tim practically snapped. 

Jason pursed his lips. “Throwing yourself into this without taking a step back. If you don’t let yourself process now, you’re not going to because something else is going to come up after this and you’ll just push it further and further away.” 

“Jason-” 

“I saw how you were in your apartment, Tim,” Jason said, holding his gaze. “How scared you were when you thought you were going to be left alone. You need to deal with all of this, Tim.” 

“Later,” he said, pulling out of Jason’s grip. 

“Tim-” 

“Later.” 

Jason watched, helpless as Tim hurried across the Cave and up the stairs to the Manor proper.


	33. Chapter 33

Tim pushed down the discomfort he was feeling. Rather than going from room to room in search of Bruce he made a beeline for the kitchen hoping Alfred would be there. 

He wasn’t disappointed and found him preparing a pot of tea. 

“Ah, Master Timothy, it’s nice to see you’ve returned safely. How was your trip?” 

“As good as it could’ve gone with helping Ra’s. Do you know where Bruce is?”

“Master Bruce is away from the Manor at the moment. I’m sure he’ll return as soon as he can. Can I help you with anything in his absence?” 

“No, thank you Alfred. I’ll just…I’ll be down in the Cave taking care of some information that I got while away.” 

“Of course, Master Timothy. If there’s anything I can get for you, don’t hesitate to call for me.” 

Tim nodded and slipped out of the kitchen. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. Bruce was probably at the Belfry. He knew he should go back but… He’d have to go back sooner or later. He wouldn’t be able to shut them out forever. 

The best he could do for now would be to work through the intel he’d gotten on his little excursion and give them something to work with. He wasn’t ready to believe that it was just over and the people who had taken him would let him go so easily. There had to be something else to all of everything and he needed to figure it out before it was too late. 

As he hit the stairs that led down to the Batcave, he pulled a second flash drive from his pocket and moved it between his fingers before curling his fist around it. He caught sight of Jason and averted his gaze, hoping to avoid the conversation he’d walked away from. 

He hurried to the computer and sat in the chair, spinning to face the consoles. He stuck his flash drive into the computer and pulled up the files he’d taken. He scrolled through them, pausing when he found a file named “Red.Robin.00.” 

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he watched where Jason leaned against the console next to him and crossed his arms over his chest. 

He clicked on the file. Several video feed windows popped up and documents of his work as a vigilante. He clicked on the first video, heart stopping when a flash of light preceded his appearance in the cell that had been his home for longer than he would’ve liked. 

“Tim…” Jason started. 

“I’m fine,” he said too quickly. He swallowed. “I’m fine,” he reiterated. He watched himself work with his gauntlet, pulling up his computer to try and figure out where he was or how he was going to get out. 

He paused the video and clicked on the next window. He was shirtless in that one, fiddling with his tools and building what would be the device that got him out of his cage. Tim skipped ahead until he opened up the cell and made his escape before being transported back in. 

Jason’s hand dropped to his shoulder and squeezed. He fought down a shiver, a familiar sense of cold threatening to swallow him. He passed the remaining videos and turned to the documents instead which were scarily detailed about his abilities as a vigilante, his patrol routes and what he’d been working on with the Belfry and the rest of the team. 

Tim pulled up the list of files again and clicked on the first one. He froze when footage of Batman came up. He clicked on the second file: Batwoman. The third: Azrael. The fourth: Spoiler. And on and on through the members of their team and the rest of the Batfamily. 

“Tim,” Jason said more firmly. “Please Tim.” 

“What is this?” he whispered. He shook his head and pulled the drive free. “I have to get this to Bruce.” 

“Tim wait,” Jason said. 

“I have to show him,” he said, rubbing his forehead, mind moving and thinking and trying to put the pieces together. “I have to get to the Belfry.” 

“Fine,” Jason said. “But I’m coming with you.” 

“No, Jason-” 

He held up a hand. “I’m coming with you, Tim.” 

He sighed. “Fine. Suit up.”


	34. Chapter 34

Tim was hyper-aware of Jason’s presence when they stepped through the zeta tube and materialized in the Belfry. The room around them was empty, but he knew that anyone in the building would know of his arrival. He hurried towards the stairs that would take them to the level above where the main computers and meetings took place. 

He tightened his grip on the flash drive in his hand and let out a breath when he caught sight of Bruce’s back at the computer. 

“What are you doing here, Tim?” he asked, looking over his shoulder. “And you brought Jason.” 

He held up the flash drive. “I have some information you need to see.” 

Bruce held out a hand and Tim tossed it over to him. He caught it easily and stuck it into the computer, pulling up the files. 

“There are files on all of the vigilantes from Gotham. It’s scary detailed. I got this when I went on an errand for Ra’s,” Tim explained. “I don’t know how they got all that information on us, but we need to track down this organization and take everything they have.” 

Jason placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed, he ignored it. 

“These are the same people who kidnapped me, so obviously they know something substantial about us and have technology we’ve never seen before.” 

“We need to run traces on it and-” 

“Tim!” 

He turned and caught an armful of Cass. He smiled and held her close for a minute. “It’s nice to see you Cass.” 

“Where have you been hiding?” 

Tim looked up and found Stephanie watching him, hands on her hips. “Sorry. I’ve been taking care of some stuff.” 

“Well can I least get a hug?” she asked, holding out her arms. 

Tim pulled away from Cass and met her halfway, feeling comforted by her tight grip. 

“As I was saying,” Bruce said. “We need to run traces on this and find out if we can trace back to their locations. There’s a lot that needs to be done if we want to keep this information under wraps.” 

“I know. I have a few ideas of how we can work with this. It might take some time to find their location, but since we know the location of one of their bases, we might be able to find the others,” Tim said, striding over to the computer. 

Bruce nodded. “Good. I need to go find Kate and let her know what you’ve found,” he said, clasping Tim on the back before walking away. 

Tim tapped at the computer, pulling up a global map. “Jason do you know the coordinates of the base you took me from?” 

He heard a sigh behind him, but thought nothing of it until an arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him away from the computer. 

“Jason,” he protested, struggling against his grip. 

“Listen to me, Tim,” he said, setting him back on his feet a distance from the computer and placing his hands on Tim’s shoulders. “Take a minute and relax for me.” 

“I can’t relax right now, there’s too much that needs to be done.” 

“And it’ll get done,” Jason said. “But you can’t bury yourself in work.” 

“If this gets out, it’ll affect all of us,” Tim snapped. “We can’t let this be made public. And we don’t know how many people have access to this information.” 

“I’m not denying that, Tim,” Jason said. “But you don’t have to do everything yourself.” 

Tim sagged forward against Jason who wrapped his arms around Tim. He heaved a sigh into Jason’s chest as gravity pulled at him. 

“Can I talk to him?” 

Jason bit back the protests and the anger, knowing he would have to let Tim decide. 

“If he wants to talk to you.” 

Tim closed his eyes for another minute before pulling out of Jason’s grip and turning to face Bruce. “Let’s go upstairs.”


	35. Chapter 35

If Tim was being honest, he wasn’t sure if he was ready to talk to Bruce. He could’ve protested and said no and put it off for another day, but then Jason probably would’ve scolded him later for running away. He wrapped his cape around himself and looked over the city. 

“I’m glad you’re back,” Bruce said, stepping up next to him. 

“Yeah…I was surprised when Jason managed to find me. I was starting to think I wouldn’t make it out of there when he showed up.” 

“He worked hard to find you.” 

“I know. He went all the way to Ra’s for help.” 

“I’m sorry you were stuck alone, Tim,” he hedged. 

Silence fell between them. 

“I’m glad you’re back,” he said, placing a hand on Tim’s shoulder. 

He nodded. 

Bruce’s grip slackened for a moment like he was going to pull his hand away before he pulled Tim against him and wrapped his arms around him. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t do more to find you, but I’m really glad you’re okay.” 

Tim sagged against him and edged his own arms around Bruce. Something inside of him broke making him feel like a little kid again. 

“Shh,” Bruce whispered into his hair making him recognize the choked off sounds he was making. “You’re here. You’re safe. And you’re never going back there. I won’t let them take you again.” 

He sniffled and pulled away to wipe at his nose. 

“Are you going to be okay?” he asked. 

Tim nodded. “Yeah…I think I just need some time.” 

“Jason will help you through it,” he murmured. “He’s already been taking good care of you so far.”

Tim froze drawing a chuckle from Bruce. 

“Oh? You think I hadn’t noticed?” 

Tim groaned and tried to bury his face in Bruce’s chest. He ran a hand through Tim’s hair. 

“It’s alright, I can see you two care about each other. We should probably get back down to the main floor before he comes rushing up here to make sure you’re okay. I’m surprised he didn’t follow us up here. That kind of thing is right up his alley.”

“Okay,” Tim said, pulling away and offering up a watery smile. 

Bruce kept an arm wrapped around his shoulders as they turned and descended the stairs. Jason was leaning against the table with his arms crossed. To anyone else, he might’ve looked relaxed, but Tim could see the stiffness in his shoulders. 

“Go home and get some rest, Tim. I’ll work through what you’ve given me so far and you can come back when you’re feeling up to it,” Bruce said, giving Tim’s shoulder one last squeeze. “Take him home, Jason. And don’t go leaving him alone.” 

Jason snorted and pushed away from the table. “You’re getting senile in your old age, B.” 

The corner of Bruce’s lip ticked up in a wayward smile. 

“Don’t let him come back here until he’s had time to rest. We can handle the new information for now.” 

“Now that,” Jason said, wrapping an arm around Tim’s shoulders and pulling him against his side, “is something the two of us actually agree on.”


	36. Chapter 36

Tim sighed when Jason shut the door behind them in his apartment. He tossed the duffle carrying his uniform on the floor. He kicked off his shoes and made a beeline for the couch, curling up against the arm rest and staring out the window. 

Jason let his leather jacket slide down his arms and tossed it in a pile before walking over to tower over him. “Are you mad at me?” 

Tim rolled his head back and looked up at him. “Why would I be mad at you?” 

He shrugged. “For getting in your way or something else. I don’t know.” 

He shook his head. “I’m not mad at you.” 

“Oh?” Jason prodded. 

Tim sighed and sat up, pulling on Jason’s arm until he was sitting on the couch next to him. Tim leaned into his side and Jason’s arm went around his waist, holding him close. He closed his eyes and let his head rest on Jason’s shoulder. 

“I’m not mad,” he repeated. “At this point, I’m just tired. So much happened and this new wave of information is…honestly, it’s scary.” Jason’s grip tightened around him. “I thought that once I got out of that prison it was all over and I didn’t have anything else I’d have to deal with, but that didn’t happen.” 

“You’re going to be okay. I won’t let them take you again.” 

Tim smiled. “Funny how everyone keeps saying that to me. But there’s something else.” 

“What?” 

“Why did you make a deal with Ra’s to find me?” 

“I was prepared to do everything to get you back. I knew Ra’s would have the information I needed so I went to him and made a deal.” 

Tim sighed. “It was stupid to cut a deal with Ra’s.” 

“I’ve done stupider things,” Jason said and Tim could hear the smile in his voice. 

Tim raised his head and met Jason’s soft expression. Tim cupped his cheek and stroked the stubbled skin with his thumb. Jason dipped his head and Tim melted into the kiss as chapped lips met his. Jason pulled him into his lap and he welcomed it, wrapping his arms around Jason’s shoulders and letting everything melt away for a minute. 

Tim pulled away with a sigh and Jason leaned their foreheads together, stroking his thumb against Tim’s lower back. 

“I don’t want to be pulled back…” Tim murmured, closing his eyes and resting his head on Jason’s chest. 

Jason swallowed and buried his face in Tim’s hair, holding him a little tighter.


	37. Chapter 37

“You won’t get taken again. I won’t let them take you. They’ll have to kill me before I let them get anywhere close to you. You’ll be safe. The darkness can’t reach you. The cold can’t reach you. The…” Jason trailed off, searching for something else to say as Tim shuddered in his arms. 

Tim’s breath stuttered against his chest as his grip tightened in his shirt. Jason shifted around slowly until his back was against the arm rest. He moved his legs onto the couch and bent them so Tim was pressed closer against him. 

“They won’t let me go,” Tim whimpered. “They won’t let me go.” 

He could hear the need to sob in Tim’s voice. Could hear the need to break whatever it was so Tim could let the pain leave him and cry it out or push it to the side or something. 

“They won’t get you again,” Jason pleaded. “They can’t keep you trapped if they don’t get you in the first place.” 

Finally a sob broke through Tim’s voice and he curled closer against Jason. Something wet seeped through his shirt and he closed his eyes, relieved Tim was finally able to cry. If he was crying he would stop crying and when he stopped crying…Jason hoped he felt better. 

“Make it stop, Jason. Make it stop, please.” 

Jason swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut. He pressed a kiss into Tim’s hair, before sliding his hand up to cup Tim’s cheek. It took more than a minute to coax Tim out of his shirt. His eyes were watery and red-rimmed, tears still streaming down his cheeks and making his blue eyes shine even brighter. 

“They won’t take you again,” Jason said, firmly, needing to make Tim understand. “Because you’ve got one thing you didn’t have before: me.” 

Tim blinked at him. 

“I would die before I let them lay so much as a finger on you. And I have no intention of dying anytime soon.” 

Tim choked on a breath and Jason drew him in, coaxing him into a kiss. His lips were soft and slowly, so slowly he got Tim to respond to him. He was reluctant at first, but Jason felt the tension slowly bleed out of Tim’s muscles until he was making little sighs and his limbs were languid against his chest. 

Jason pulled back and tucked Tim’s head under his chin, running a hand through his hair to keep him relaxed. 

“Thank you,” Tim whispered. 

Jason pressed a kiss against his head. “Anything for you, Babybird. Are you okay now?” 

He nodded. “Yeah. I…yeah.” 

“Is there anything else you need?” 

“Just you.” 

“That is something I’ll happily give.” 

Jason stretched out his legs and sagged down against the arm rest, letting both of their bodies sink into the cushions. He rubbed circles into Tim’s skin, feeling relief settle over him when Tim’s breaths evened out and his eyes slid shut. 

It was another step forward, one Jason hoped would keep Tim moving forward for a while. Or forever.


	38. Chapter 38

Tim stared blankly at the T.V. Something exploded on the screen but he didn’t really have any idea of what the plot was. He was too mentally exhausted to spend the energy focusing on what was in front of him. He only cared about the warmth of the blanket around him and Jason’s arms wrapped around him. 

Jason’s hand was still rubbing circles into his back. The feeling had long morphed together into something that wasn’t even registering in his mind. 

“Hey,” Jason murmured, nose brushing around the shell of his ear. “You should eat something.” 

Tim pulled his gaze away from the screen and turned to look up at Jason who’s eyebrows furrowed at his blank expression. He lowered his head against Jason’s chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. 

Jason sighed and reached for the remote. He shut of the T.V. and hooked an arm underneath Tim’s legs, stopping his ministrations to wrap his other hand around Tim’s back. Tim didn’t even protest when he stood from the couch, only leaned more heavily against him. 

Jason carried him through the apartment to his bedroom and laid him down on the covers before crawling on the bed after him. He tucked Tim against him, keeping the blanket firmly around his body. 

Tim’s eyes slid shut and he reached for Jason’s shirt, tangling his fingers in the fabric as his breaths evened out and he drifted off to sleep. 

~~

Tim kept his eyes shut for several minutes when he started getting pulled back to consciousness. He didn’t want to be up. He didn’t want to be forced back into everything. He wanted the peacefulness and serenity that came with his dreams. 

“Hey,” Jason mumbled into his hair. “You awake?”

He sighed and opened his eyes, staring at where his hand was gripping Jason’s shirt. He forced himself to uncurl his fingers and smoothed out the fabric, leaving his palm resting against his chest. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Not that I want to be.” 

His hair flattened under the pressure of a kiss. 

“You going to be okay?” Jason asked. 

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m going to have to be I guess. It’s all so messed up.” 

“I don’t disagree. It’s messed up and stupid and shouldn’t be happening in the first place, but it is and the only thing we can do is do what we do best and fight back against it.” 

“Do you think we can win?” Tim asked, finally raising his eyes to look at Jason. 

Jason smiled at him. “Don’t we always? Even when things seem discouraging or like it’s all going to shit, we always manage to find a way out of it and this time is going to be no different. The only thing you need to decide is if you’re going to help or if this is going to be too much to handle.” 

Tim let out a breathy chuckle, feeling something finally return with certainty. “Is that even a question? All of you would be lost without me.” 

Jason closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together before blinking to meet Tim’s eyes. “That we would, Tim. That we would.” 

Tim tilted his chin up and Jason met him for an easy kiss. And the feeling of something returning to him grew stronger.


	39. Chapter 39

Bruce rubbed his eyes as he finished going through the last of the files on the drive Tim had brought back for him. He was exhausted. More exhausted then he’d been in a long time. 

“How are things looking?” 

Bruce sighed and turned to face Dick who was standing in civvies at the other side of the room. “Not good. They have a lot of information on us, but we knew that already.” 

“How do you propose to take them down?” 

Bruce’s lips thinned. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure how much everyone is going to like it.” 

Dick sighed. “What is it?” 

“We need to get a trace on where all of their locations are. This has the ID code from where Tim picked it up so we know where he went, but there’s no information on the other locations. What we need to do is get to one of their computers and put in a drive that will feed into the system and give us a list of locations as to where the rest of their bases are. From there, it’s taking them out one by one and working our way to the leader to stop the organization all while keeping this information from getting out.” 

Dick nodded and smirked. “So…when’s this happening?” 

Bruce shook his head. “I’m doing this on my own.” 

“Aww, come on,” he whined. “You can’t seriously think you can get in and out and take down all of the bases without someone knowing about you. You’re going to need back up. At least get a report from Tim about what the base is like instead of going in blind.” 

“He needs his rest. We shouldn’t bother him with this.” 

“He’s involved in this, too. He was the one they kidnapped and he should know what’s going on. Especially if it impacts him.” 

“He needs time to recover.” 

“It’ll be more difficult if this is kept from him.” 

“Dick-” 

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “If you don’t tell him, I’m going to.” 

Bruce glared at him, but Dick stood his ground. He wasn’t a kid anymore and he’d been disobeying Bruce since he first stepped foot in his house. 

“Fine,” Bruce relented. “Go tell him. But make it explicitly clear he doesn’t have to have any involvement with this.” 

“I’ll tell him, but it won’t do any good,” he huffed as he turned on his heel. “If Tim doesn’t come help, then Jason will.” 

“I know,” he mumbled under his breath as he went back through the files again. He sons wouldn’t roll over so easily.


	40. Chapter 40

The persistent knocking on the window finally managed to pull Tim from his focus on the television and his gaze sluggishly drifted over to find Dick on the fire escape. Tim had a spoon hanging out of his mouth and a lukewarm bowl of cereal on his lap as he leaned into Jason’s side. 

Jason pulled himself out from underneath Tim and walked over to the window, pulling it open so Dick could jump inside. 

“Hey Tim,” he greeted. “How are you doing?” 

Tim shrugged. “All right. How are things going with the files?” 

“That’s actually why I’m here.” 

Tim straightened on the couch, dropping his spoon into his bowl. “Did you find something?” he asked, more alert. 

“Nothing about the organization besides what they have on us,” Dick said quickly. “But Bruce needs your help.” 

“For what?” Jason asked behind him, a sharp edge to his tone. 

Dick sighed. “He wants to find the locations of the other bases for this organization.”

“And?” Jason snapped. 

“And none of those locations are on the drive Tim brought back,” he added. 

Tim let out a breath. “He wants to go back to where I picked up these files to get a line into the database to find the other locations and information on the organization,” Tim mumbled. 

Dick nodded. “The least he needs is some information on where you went, that’s it. You don’t have to do anything more than-” 

“Dick,” Tim interrupted, uncurling his legs and standing from the couch. “I’m not letting Bruce go in on this alone.” 

“No!” Jason growled. 

Tim raised an eyebrow and turned to look at him. “What?” he asked. 

“You don’t need to put yourself back there. Just give B the information he needs to be able to get in and get out. You don’t have to go back there, Tim.” 

“B can’t go alone and just giving him the information won’t do him any good. They have some advanced tech and if he gets captured like I was it’s going to be a lot more difficult to get him out. This has to be a large, but covert operation.” 

“Then I’m coming with you,” Jason said. 

“Fine,” Tim agreed. “Like I said, we’re going to need a larger team for this. Dick should probably come, too. And anyone else needed to shut this base down.” 

Tim walked around the couch back to the kitchen and dumped his uneaten cereal down the sink. 

“Give me a few minutes to pack up some gear and we can head back to the Belfry,” he said, walking down the hall towards his bedroom. He didn’t have to hear his footsteps to know Jason was following him. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jason asked when they were alone. 

“Yes,” Tim said as he pulled down an empty duffel bag. “As much shit as they put me through, they’ve involved everyone else now. Our whole family and then some is at risk and I’m not going to let anyone else get hurt.” 

“Tim,” Jason said, grabbing his arm to stop him from pulling his uniform from the closet. 

Tim cupped the side of Jason’s face. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “And I know you’ll be there to keep me safe this time around. We’ll make it out of this and take down these bastards.” 

Jason sighed and pulled Tim close, pressing his lips against Tim’s briefly. Jason offered him a soft smile before helping him pack.


	41. Chapter 41

Bruce looked up in surprise when Tim strode into the Belfry with Dick and Jason following behind him. Jason had two bags on his shoulders and was looking less than happy and Dick looked the kind of weary and uncertain that came with being in the middle of disagreeing points of view. 

“Dick said you need help,” Tim said. “I can give you a rundown of the base and the surrounding city and we can develop a plan and task force before we fly out.” 

“You’re sure about coming?” Bruce asked. 

Tim narrowed his eyes. “I’m only going to say this once. I’m going and you’re going to need my help. It won’t do anyone any good if we leave them for too long and I’m not about to risk letting anyone else get captured by them after the hell I had to go through.” 

Bruce nodded. “Let’s get started then.” He turned to work at the computer, but Tim interrupted, pushing his chair out of the way so he could pull up a world map. Jason snickered at Bruce being shoved away and Tim smiled, typing in a series of coordinates that locked in on a small desert town. 

He changed the settings to a satellite view and closed in so they could see the layout of the buildings in complete clarity. Tim drew a red circle around the base he’d broken into before drawing a wider perimeter in yellow. 

“Okay,” he said, taking a step back. “This is where we’re headed. The red circle is around the immediate base, but the yellow indicates the range of their security sensors. It’s possible to pass through undetected with our current tech, but it takes a while which means we’re either going to need something more powerful or launch an entire assault to take down the base.” 

“But the range of their security suggests there are more people involved than the immediate base,” Jason said, eyes boring into the screen. 

Tim nodded. “That’s what I thought, too. So we’d be fighting against a larger team, unless…” he trailed off, typing in several more things until he had a plan of the sewer systems pulled up. “We go through the sewers. This is how I got out undetected and we could use it to our advantage, especially since the pipes lead directly to the room where their computer is kept unless they’ve decided to rearrange things, but I find that doubtful. 

“Not only did they not know who attacked them, but that’s the most secure location and the hardest to get to if you go through the front door. Or the back door. Or any of the windows,” he listed off. He ignored the annoyed sound that came from Jason. “They have guards that rotate around the windows in a scheduled system. As far as I’m aware those guards don’t go into the basement, leaving the computer under the guard of the people working with the information.

“We might need to do some preliminary work before we launch our attack to make sure they haven’t added any new tech, but we should be able to get in, neutralize the members on the computer and get the information we need before getting out.” 

Tim crossed his arms and leaned against the main console, facing the rest of the group. 

“What kinds of weapons did the guards have?” Bruce asked. 

“Rifles. I’m not sure how efficient they are with them since I never gave them the chance to use them.” 

“A smaller team would be best to get in and out without raising alarm,” Bruce said. 

Tim nodded. “But if the alarm is sounded, we’ll be swamped.” 

“Are you suggesting we’re going to cause that much of a commotion?” Jason asked. 

Tim raised an eyebrow and smirked. “With you along for the ride? Definitely.” 

Jason grinned and Tim looked back at Bruce. “The four of us should be able to handle it just fine. You, me, and Jason go in for the info and Dick stays with the plane.” 

“Why do I have to stay with the plane?” Dick protested. 

“Because Bruce won’t stay behind since he’ll want to make sure we get all the intel even though we would,” Tim said, pointedly. “I’m going in because I have the experience of being in there and since I’m going in there won’t be any way Jason would be able to stay behind.” 

Dick pouted, but Tim knew he agreed. Bruce planted his hands on the console and stood, pushing his chair back. 

“Then we better get the plane loaded. We have work to do.”


	42. Chapter 42

Tim tightened the straps on his gauntlet as their plane landed amidst swaths of dust and sand. Bruce’s cape swished behind him as he got up from the pilot’s chair and stalked towards the back of the ship where the bay door opened. Tim followed after him and Jason holstered his guns, bringing up the rear. 

“The entrance is over here,” Tim said, walking over to a covering set low into the ground. He lifted the edge easily and turned the metal plate over onto the ground where it kicked up a layer of dust in the darkness. 

“You sure about this?” Jason asked. 

Tim rolled his eyes even though he knew Jason couldn’t see and jumped through the opening, landing in a crouch in the shallow stream of water below. He made a face at the smell before moving forward. 

“You can follow me down,” he muttered over his shoulder. 

Bruce jumped in after him, cape swishing as he stalked past him. Jason followed shortly after, keeping close to Tim as they moved through the pipes. Tim brought up the map of the sewers on his wrist computer and kept track of their progress along the route they were taking back to the city. 

The drip of water and the scurry of what could only be rats were the sounds that accompanied their journey. As they got underneath the buildings of the city, they could hear the sounds of rushing pipes and the rumble of cars that passed on the streets overhead. 

“Wait,” Tim said and they all paused. 

“What is it?” Bruce asked. 

“We’ve reached the edge of their security perimeter. Our progress is going to be much slower from here on even with the assistance of our blockers.” 

Bruce waved a hand and when the sensors changed Tim took the lead, stopping every few feet when they had to wait for the changeover to happen. Tim knew if he was anyone else they would’ve felt safer moving through the sewers, but he knew that if they were detected, he’d have no hope of knowing it was coming until they were swamped by enemy fighters. 

He tightened his fist and listened closely beyond the water and the rats for anything that might indicate an attack was coming as they slowly made their way to the building. 

Jason’s hand fell onto his shoulder and squeezed and Tim let out a quiet breath. They were going to be okay in this. They just needed to hack the computer and get out. 

He straightened when they turned the last corner and found the covering leading into the computer room. He ran his hand around the seal, checking for any tampering that could’ve occurred since the last time he’d been there. 

“As quiet as possible,” Bruce said, sliding in front of Tim to check the covering himself. 

Tim could almost hear the angry sigh from Jason and for once he agreed with him. He pulled out his collapsible bo and a few smoke bombs. He heard Jason unholster one of his guns behind him. Bruce tried to move the covering quietly, but it creaked and groaned. Sending caution to the wind he threw it open and jumped inside, throwing a couple of batarangs. 

Surprised shouts echoed as the three men at the computer struggled to fight back. Bruce shoved them away from the computer, but they didn’t stay down for long, pulling out guns for Tim and Jason to intercept. Bruce plugged his wrist computer into the mainframe and began to upload the program. 

Tim took one of the guys while Jason cornered the other two. They seemed to be far more skilled than who Tim had encountered the first time, but it had also been pitch black and he hadn’t had to fight them directly. He whacked him on the side of the head with his bo and was surprised when he didn’t stay down long. 

“You’ve got more spunk than I would’ve given you credit for,” Tim said good-naturedly. 

“Have to in this organization,” he shot back, pulling a knife from his boot. 

Tim deflected the swipe easily, darting out of the way once before starting to press his opponent back towards the wall to be cornered. His eyes went wide when his back hit the wall and Tim took the distraction to knock the blade from his hand. 

Excited shouts erupted behind him and Tim made the mistake of whirling around. He gasped when the knife sank into his shoulder and he didn’t hesitate to throw and elbow behind him. It caught his opponent on the side of the head and he stumbled backwards. Tim grit his teeth and knocked him across the face with his staff, sending him sprawled on the floor. 

He heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to find reinforcements coming down. Jason pulled out a second gun and took down the two guys he was facing. 

“How much longer B?” Jason hissed. “The cavalry’s coming.” 

“Ten seconds,” he said, voice completely calm. 

Tim tightened his grip on his bo staff and grit his teeth against a wave of pain. He pulled two discs from his belt and hit the first two men to show their faces below the beam. They went down hard, tumbling down the stairs. Jason stepped back, out of the way. 

“Done,” Bruce said, pulling away from the computer and sweeping around back to the sewers. 

“You’re bleeding,” Jason scoffed when he turned to him. 

“It’s nothing,” Tim said, hurrying after him to the sewer entrance. 

Gun shots sounded behind them and they hurried through the opening. Jason pulled Tim against him despite his hiss of pain and hauled him into his arms. He gasped as Jason broke into a sprint and jostled him. 

Tim closed his eyes against the gunshots that echoed around him and trusted Jason to get them out.


	43. Chapter 43

The sound of water splashing around them echoed loudly in the sewers and was a backdrop to the clang of gunshots. Tim heard Bruce and Jason say something to each other, but it was all blurring together in the background for him. He was dizzy and in pain and starting to get a little nauseous from being jostled back and forth with a knife in his back. 

He hissed as they turned a corner and he was jostled in Jason’s arms. 

“We’re almost there, Tim. Just hang on,” Jason said. 

Tim forced his eyes open and looked ahead of them. Bruce’s cape was billowing behind him as he sprinted through the water, but Tim had no idea where they were in relation to the exit and the plane. He tired to bring up his wrist computer, but his hand was shaking so badly he couldn’t type in the right sequence. Jason caught his hand and squeezed it. 

“Stay with me, Tim.” 

He nodded even though Jason wasn’t looking at him and he was reluctant to let Jason’s hand go, but he needed it to keep a secure hold on his weakening body. 

In what seemed like one blink and the next they went from the dark and damp of the sewers to the bright light reflecting off the sand dunes outside. Their jet’s engines were already running and the ramp was lowered. Jason’s boots clanged loudly on the metal and it started to close as they slipped inside, Dick wasting no time in getting them off the ground. 

Jason ducked out of the way as the gunmen emerged from the sewers and got a few bullets through the still open hatch. Tim’s stomach turned over as they moved rapidly through the air and rose into the atmosphere. Bruce wasted no time in taking the seat opposite Dick and taking over their course. 

“Jay…shit, I think I’m going to be sick,” Tim muttered. 

“Fuck,” Jay cursed, practically dumping him on a med bay before getting a bag in front of him. Tim emptied the contents of his stomach in a painful of heave and grimaced at the taste it left in his mouth. 

Jason tied off the bag and dumped it into one of the stationary bins before he started undoing the clasps on Tim’s uniform. He let himself lay there as Jason stripped the top half of him. He had to pause to take the knife out of his shoulder and Tim bit down on his lip, but wasn’t able to keep his whimper from whining low in his throat. Jason shushed him and pressed a kiss to the side of his head before pressing towels to the now furiously bleeding wound on his back.

Jason rolled him onto his stomach and Tim was about ready to let himself pass out or be smothered by the fabric of the cot, but Jason had other plans. He wiped the area with antiseptic, earning a hiss from Tim at the burn, before he put together a needle and thread. 

“Time for stitches,” he said, not giving much more warning before he was stitching Tim back together. 

Tim bit his lip to keep any noises of discomfort inside. The mission was already wearing on him and the pain from the stitches blurred together until he didn’t even notice it anymore. 

“Tim? Hey, Tim?” 

Jason nudged him gently and he groaned. 

“You still with me?” he asked. 

Tim sluggishly turned his head to find Jason kneeling next to the cot, his eyebrows drawn down in worry. 

Tim tried to smile, but he could tell it wasn’t very convincing. “How’s it look?” he asked. 

“Was a little deep so it’s not going to be a quick heal, but you’re going to be okay. You still feel nauseous?” 

Tim shook his head. 

“Think you can drink something?” 

He thought of the drink he’d been given when Jason rescued him the first time and grimaced. 

Jason smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “Just try for a few sips okay?” 

He sighed and nodded, mourning the loss of Jason’s hand when he stood to retrieve it. He came back quickly, a straw sticking out of the paper top and held it to Tim’s lips. Tim carefully maneuvered onto his side and took the straw into is mouth, taking gentle sips. 

Jason’s hand went back to his hair as he whispered soft encouragements as he slowly worked his way through the drink.


	44. Chapter 44

Jason gathered Tim up in his arms when they landed the jet back at the Cave. He carried him off the plane and set him down on one of the medical cots as Bruce made a beeline for the computer to start going through the data they’d collected. Dick and Damian headed for the showers to get changed into something more comfortable. 

Jason nudged Tim onto his stomach to get a closer look at his stitch job on the plane and was pleased with how it looked. It wasn’t bleeding, though the skin looked a little irritated still, but Jason was sure that it wouldn’t hang around for long once the initial shock to his body faded away. 

He pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and ran his fingers through Tim’s hair. Tim opened his eyes slowly and offered a weak smile. Jason could tell he was exhausted after everything and that wasn’t even taking into account any emotional toll the raid had had on him. 

“You doing okay?” he murmured. 

“As okay as I can be after getting stabbed,” he whispered. 

“You need anything else? A change of clothes? Something to eat or drink?” 

“Some water would be nice. And i wouldn’t mind getting into a pair of sweats. I’m ready to sleep.” 

Jason smiled. “That is something I’m entirely willing to encourage.” He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on Tim’s forehead. “I’ll go grab you some water and a pair of sweats from the lockers and we can get you changed.” 

Tim nodded and watched him walk away. Alfred intercepted his path and offered to get the water and anything else Jason might want. Jason was grateful and took the chance while he retrieved some clothes for Tim and relieved himself of his jacket and extra guns. 

By the time he got back to Tim’s bedside he was sipping gently from a straw. Jason left him to his drink as he undid the latches on Tim’s boots and worked them from his feet without shaking him too much. 

“Can you pause for a minute so we can get your pants off?” he asked. 

Tim nodded and set the cup on the bedside table, bracing himself for the movement. Jason placed his hands on Tim’s hips and Tim had to lean back awkwardly, keeping his injured shoulder off the cot so it wouldn’t dig into the material. 

His face scrunched up as he lifted his hips and Jason pulled his pants down. They paused after they were over Tim’s hips, giving him a chance to catch his breath before the much easier process of pulling them off Tim’s legs. 

Getting the sweats on was easy going until they got to Tim’s hips. He had to hold himself up longer while Jason got the fabric over him. The position pulled at the stitches and Tim winced. 

When they were finished, Tim curled up on his side and Jason ran a hand through his hair. He took up his position in the chair again. Tim let his hand fall over the side of the bed and Jason took the invitation, linking their fingers together. 

“Get some sleep,” Jason murmured. “You’re exhausted.” 

“Wake me if Bruce finds anything?” he asked. 

Jason kept himself from rolling his eyes and squeezed Tim’s hand. “Sure thing,” he said even though that was the last thing he was going to do. 

Tim stared at him for a minute before he let his eyes slide shut and sank further into the mattress, succumbing to his exhaustion and letting himself rest. They’d have a lot to talk about once he woke up, but Jason was glad his injury wasn’t anything serious. He couldn’t wait until this whole fiasco was over so that they could settle back into a normal routine. 

Tim deserved that after everything he’d been forced to endure and re-endure at the sake of taking down the organization that threatened all of their lives.


	45. Chapter 45

Jason kept Tim’s hand in his as he slept, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand as Tim’s chest rose and fell softly. His lips were parted on gentle breaths, cheeks turned into the scratchy pillow case of the hospital bed. 

He glanced over at Bruce who was still bent over the computer, hard at work going through the files and information they had. Jason could see that he had a world map pulled up and was placing markers across Europe and the U.S. 

Jason dropped a kiss on the back of Tim’s hand, before setting it on the cot. He pushed out of the chair and walked around the medical set up towards the computer, coming to a stop behind Bruce’s chair. 

“They have an array of bases as you can see,” Bruce offered. “Varying security levels on each, but more than one has an arsenal at their disposal.”

“Where’s their headquarters?” Jason asked. 

“I’m guessing the base in Russia is where their operations are coming from, but I’m still sifting through some of the data to be sure.” 

“Why is it always Russia?” Jason muttered. 

“I’d guess it’s the temperament of people there. It’s hard being nice somewhere so cold.” 

Jason blinked. “Did you just…” 

“Hm?” 

“Never mind,” he muttered. “So everyone in this organization has access to this info.” 

“No. Just the people with certain clearance. Which would be the higher officials as well as anyone who is stationed with the computers.” 

“What’s our next step then? How are we going to take down these guys?” 

“From what I can tell, if headquarters goes offline, the rest of the bases have a specific protocol to follow to enact their plan immediately, regardless of what stage they’re in.”

“So we need to neutralize all of the bases simultaneously,” Jason said, eyes roving over all of them. 

“As of right now, yes.”

“We’re going to need a larger team for this.” 

“I’m aware,” Bruce sighed. 

“Justice League?” 

“Who else?” 

Jason thought he detected a hint of good nature in his voice. If Bruce was able to joke then things might not be as bad as they seemed to be. 

“Anything else you’ve learned?” Jason asked. 

“The prison where Tim was kept doesn’t seem to be the only one. I’m not sure how many prisoners there are, but I’ve found record of half a dozen facilities.”

“There’s the chance there are people who’ve been held longer than Tim was?” 

“Exactly.” 

“We better not wait, then,” Jason said, glancing back over his shoulder at where Tim was still asleep on the cot.


	46. Chapter 46

Tim came back to consciousness slowly, the hushed whispers that echoed oddly in the Cave buzzed around his head. He furrowed his brow and blinked his eyes open, coming face-to-face with an empty chair. He shifted on the stiff medical cot and carefully sat up, wary of the injury on the back of his shoulder. 

He winced when it pulled at the stitches, the cot croaking noisily underneath him. He looked over his shoulder and found Bruce, Jason, and Dick huddled in a group at the Computer. Jason had his arms crossed and looked serious and Dick was nodding his head and following the conversation with a focus that only came out in certain situations. 

Tim shifted out of habit, making the cot squeak underneath him again and Jason’s gaze immediately went to him. He ducked out of the conversation and hurried over to Tim, placing a hand on his shoulder and cupping his cheek with the other. 

“Hey, Tim, you’re finally awake. Are you okay? How are you feeling?” he asked. 

“I’m a little groggy and trying not to pull at the stitches too much, but doing better than earlier.” 

Jason smiled and rubbed his thumb over Tim’s cheek. 

“What’s going on?” Tim asked, trying to turn his head to look over at where Bruce and Dick were still huddled together. 

“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” Jason said, keeping him facing him. 

“Jason…” Tim warned, eyes narrowing. 

“It’s really nothing you need to worry about.” 

Tim pulled away from his grip. “Tell me what’s going on.” 

“Tim-” 

“You know I’ll find out even if you don’t tell me so you might as well get it over with and avoid making me mad.” 

Jason sighed and let his hands fall away. He pulled the chair he was sitting in earlier closer to the edge of the bed and sat down heavily, grabbing Tim’s hands between both of his and rubbing his thumbs over the back of Tim‘s hands. 

“Okay. Let me preface this by saying you aren’t coming.” 

Tim narrowed his eyes. “What are you planning?” 

“B managed to decode the information we brought back and made up a map of their network and locations. It’s intricate and because they have security measures in place we have to neutralize all of the bases at the same time to keep them from getting out a signal to the others and putting any sort of protocol in motion.” 

“Justice League?“

Jason smiled and nodded. “Yeah. We’re in the middle of getting a team together and organizing attack plans and briefings. Because of the delicacy of the situation we want to get in and out as fast as possible.” 

“I can help,” Tim automatically said. 

Jason shook his head. “You’re hurt, Tim. You need to recover. You can watch from the monitors here or in the Watchtower, but you can’t come on this mission.” 

“But-” 

He shook his head. “No, Tim. I know you want to help. And you can. By staying safe and watching our backs on the computers. I know it sucks and I know you hate being benched, but we don’t have time to let you heal so you can come with us.” 

Tim’s lips pursed and he frowned. “You’re going to have to brief me on everything,” he finally conceded. “I need to know everything about all the bases and the teams you’re sending into each one.” 

Jason stood from the chair and ducked his head, pressing a soft kiss to Tim’s lips. 

“Of course,” he said, soft smile gracing his lips. “Are you good to walk?” 

Tim rolled his eyes. “I got stabbed in the shoulder, not shot in the leg,” he said, gently easing himself off the cot.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jason muttered, linking their fingers together as they joined Bruce and Dick by the computer.


	47. Chapter 47

Tim stared at the computer screens in front of him. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders to fight off the chill of the Cave since he was still having trouble getting bulkier shirts and jackets on with his shoulder. Alfred was in the chair next to him and they were the only backup and support the international Justice League mission had at the moment. 

After the first day of briefings and mission organizing with some of the Leaguers, Jason had finally stopped fretting so much over Tim. Mainly because Tim had snapped at him and thrown his sandwich at him. He hadn’t accepted Jason’s apology until he’d brought him his favorite coffee order. But if he wasn’t allowed to fight, he damn well was going to know every bit of information about the organization they were taking down, each of their bases, and the steps and teams who were part of it. 

They had several video feeds of the different aircraft that were flying in and had all of the heroes on a larger tracking map to keep on eye on their progress as they approached destination. 

Bruce had left Nightwing in “charge” of Jason and Damian while he spread out to one of the other teams. They’d decided to keep the biggest name heroes separated so there was an even distribution of experience and power to keep any one team form being overwhelmed. They couldn’t afford to lose the mission because one of their strike teams was neutralized. 

Tim had also spearheaded the research into the bases and which teams would work most effectively to ensure there was even less room for error. He wasn’t entirely sure what would happen if a signal went out or what the organization was wanting to accomplish, but if it was anything close to being locked up in a cell like he’d been, he was going to stop that before it could get started. 

“Strike teams A, D, F, I, and J, you’re five minutes out from your location. Teams B, C, E, G, and H, you’re ten minutes out. Wait for the signal all teams are in position before enacting the system blackout. All bases should go offline simultaneously so no one realizes the other bases are under attack,” Tim reiterated over the mic. 

He received a series of return affirmations over his announcement. 

“Remember, you only have ten minutes to get in and shut down the system before they can get back online. You’ve looked over the blueprints. Worry about any potential prisoners and enemy agents until after the base is shut down. We can’t allow for any information to be spread or attack initiated under any circumstances.” 

Tim sat back in his chair and muted his mic as he watched their progress on screen. He curled his fingers over the edge of the armrests and hoped with every part of his being this would get off without a hitch. 

“Don’t worry, Master Timothy,” Alfred said, speaking up next to him. “This mission has been thought over and rechecked countless times. Everyone understands the severity and will not fail.” 

Tim smiled and looked over at him. “Thanks, Alfred, but we can’t say that until it’s over.” 

He sighed and reached for his glass of water, taking a sip as a notification beeped in his ear. He furrowed his brow and changed the line. 

“Yes?” he asked. 

“You doing okay, babe?” Jason asked. 

“As okay as I can. Sitting in a chair in the Cave right now sucks. I’d rather be out there with the rest of you.” 

“Nah, it’s much cozier in the Cave. Besides, you’re doing a great job leading this whole thing. Really putting Batman to shame.” 

Tim chuckled. “I don’t know about that…” 

“Well I do,” Jason said, firmly. “And don’t worry. We’ll get the job done. I won’t let anything go wrong.” 

“You can’t be in ten places at once Jason,” Tim shot back. 

“No, I can’t. But you can. You don’t want this mission to fail which means it won’t. We’ll get this done and it’ll all finally be over.” 

Tim closed his eyes. “I don’t know if it’ll ever be over,” he whispered. 

The line was silent for a moment. 

“Hey, Jay?” 

“Hm?” 

“Thanks.” 

“Anything for you, Babybird.” 

Tim looked over the screens again and sat up straighter. He switched back to the main line. 

“Teams B, C, E, G, and H are at location in sixty seconds. All teams prepare for system shutdown.”


	48. Chapter 48

Tim could feel the tension in his shoulders as he listened to the sounds of fighting through his headphones and comms that was the only thing connecting him to the different strike teams. 

The system shutdown had gone down without a hitch and all of the teams had managed to touch down and infiltrate the buildings with little interference or trouble. And then the shooting and fighting had started and things had gotten more complicated. 

From what Tim could tell, there were guards everywhere and they weren’t making much progress. 

“What’s the status on base shutdown?” he asked through gritted teeth. 

_“For strike team A, Batman already set off to get to the main command center.”  
_

_“Team E here, Superman went to find it.”  
_

_“Team J, Wonder Woman broke off to find it.”  
_

_“Team D, Red Hood broke off already.”_

“Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Red Hood, check in. What’s your progress?” Tim asked. 

“In the command center,” Jason said, tense voice filtering over the line. “Inserting the-” 

A gun shot echoed over the line. 

“Hood?” Tim asked, sitting forward as fear gripped his chest. “Hood, report.” 

“Sorry,” he said after too long. “Someone followed after me. Inserting the drive now.” 

Tim stared at the screen, waiting for one of the base lights to dim. They had a long way to go and not enough time. He let out a shaky breath when Jason’s base finally went dark.

“Upload complete,” he reported over the comm. 

“Yeah, I’ve got you,” Tim said. “Your base has gone dark. Strike teams, time is running down. Top priority is shutting down the bases, get that done first. I don’t care if you’ve got a whole army coming after you. Get the Leaguer with the drive to the command center while you hold off everyone else.” 

“Batman here,” Bruce said, breaking through the cacophony of fighting. “I’ve made it to the command center. Inserting drive now.” 

Tim watched as another base went dark. “Roger that,” Tim said. “Your base is down and eight more to go.” 

“Mission command, I’ve made it to the command center and am inserting the drive,” Superman said, calm voice soothing the nerves across the mission teams. 

Some of the tension left Tim’s shoulders as he watched another base go dark. 

“Seven more to go,” he muttered under his breath. 

One by one, the bases on his screen went dark as the clock ran down. 

“We’ve got two minutes of the system shutdown left before everything gets back online. Teams I and B what is the status of your strike team? Where is your drive?” 

“Our drive carrier went ahead to the command center while we hold off the guards.” 

“Same for us.” 

“Drive carriers, report in,” Tim said, placing a hand against the side of his headphones. 

He didn’t receive a response. 

“Drive carriers!” he demanded, feeling something sink in his gut. His eyes went to the countdown clock on the computer. 

“Drive carrier for team B reporting in,” a haggard voice broke in over the comms. “Got into a spot of trouble, but I made it to the command center. Inserting the drive now.” 

Tim let out a silent, shaky breath as he watched the second to last base go dark. 

“Team I what’s your status?” he asked. 

The line stayed silent. 

“Mission command,” Jason said, voice even and level. “Will a base stay dark if we take out the drive from the computer?” 

Tim blinked. “Yes. The virus will have already shut down the system so as long as you keep someone else form hacking into the system to try and clear the virus, it will keep it from being rebooted.” 

“Good, that’s what I was hoping or,” he said. “Superman, take your drive and get to the last base. He’s got the speed to get there and has the x-ray vision to find the command center without wandering around.” 

“Can you get there in thirty seconds Superman?” Tim asked, watching as the milliseconds counted down. 

“That…won’t be necessary….” a haggard voice said, breaths rattling into the mic. “Got into a spot of trouble and kept me from getting to the command center.” 

“Fifteen seconds,” Tim reported. “Get that drive in now.” 

“Inserting drive now.” 

Tim swallowed, watching as the seconds ticked down, but the base was still lit up. He let out a breath as the light shut off right before the timer ran out. 

“Base down. All bases are down,” Tim reported. He sagged back in his chair. “Round up all the guards. Take note of any weapons and prisoners. We have a lot of work to do before this mission is completed.” 

He could hear come of the teams cheering even as they continued to fight while others remained silent. 

“I’ll keep on everything here in case someone tries to get the bases back online. I’m taking control of the base interfaces. Drive carriers, get back to the fight and help your team members.” 

Tim received several confirmations in response and let himself indulge in a small smile when he heard Jason’s smile over the line. He didn’t want to be overly optimistic, but he finally thought everything was working out the way it should’ve since the beginning.


	49. Chapter 49

Tim blinked tired eyes and was finally able to smile when the jet carrying Jason, Dick, and Damian slowly descended into the Cave. It had been hours since the bases were shut down and Tim had to wait at the side while they rounded up the people in charge and grabbed any intel they didn’t get from their last mission. 

Tim pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders and leaned back in his chair. He felt too exhausted to try and get up after putting off sleep and having his emotions pulled in a million different directions. 

Jason was the first one off the plane as soon as the bay door opened. He turned towards Tim in a second and pulled off his helmet as he strode over, crossing the distance between them. He paused a foot away from Tim, suddenly hesitant. 

“Uh…hi,” Jason said. 

The edge of Tim’s lips quirked up. “Hey. Are you just going to stand there? Or do I get a kiss?” 

Jason sighed before closing the distance between them. He curled his fingers in the longer strands of hair at the nape of Tim’s neck and brought their lips together. Tim gripped the edge of his jacket, lips turning up in a smile now that Jason was back. 

Something in his stomach was finally put at ease. Something slid back into place where it belonged now that Jason was back and they were both safe and this mission was finally over. 

“How are you doing?” Jason asked when he finally pulled away. 

Tim shrugged. “Tired mostly. I’m ready for this all to be over.” 

“And it is,” Jason said. “It is.” 

“You should get cleaned up. We should do a debriefing.” 

Jason shook his head. “Already went through that at the Watchtower. I’m all done for the night. Hey, Alfie, can you take care of everything else here?” he asked, raising his head to look over Tim. 

“Of course, Master Jason. I think both you and Master Timothy would do well to get some rest after the exciting and taxing day we’ve all had.” 

“Thanks, Al,” Jason said before pulling Tim up out of the desk chair. The blanket fell from his shoulders and Tim shivered at the cold. Jason slipped his jacket from his shoulders and draped it around Tim’s shoulders before pulling him over to the row of bikes. 

Jason swung a leg over one of the bikes and Tim climbed on behind him, wrapping his arms around Jason’s waist. Jason revved the motorcycle and tore out of the Cave, turning back towards the city. 

They made it through the streets in record time and Jason left the bike stowed in the alleyway next to Tim’s apartment. He gathered Tim in his arms and carried him up the fire escape. Tim curled into his chest, trying to fight against the exhaustion pulling at him. 

When they got inside, Jason settled Tim down on the bed and wrapped him in the comforter even though he was still wearing Jason’s jacket. 

“I’m going to go take a shower okay?” Jason whispered, placing a kiss on Tim’s forehead. 

Tim nodded and watched him slip from the bedroom. He ran his fingers over the fabric in front of him and listened as the water started and splashed against the tiles. It droned on in the background and blended together to the point Tim didn’t notice when the water was shut off until Jason was sliding onto the bed opposite him and brushing away the out of place strands of hair laying across his forehead. 

Tim sighed and moved closer. Jason cradled his face against his palm and smiled even at Tim’s tired expression. 

“You look tired,” he murmured. 

Tim nodded. “I haven’t been this tired since…” he trailed off as memories of cold and loneliness brushed against the edge of his mind. 

Jason wrapped his arms around Tim’s form and pulled him close, pressing him to his chest. 

“It’s all over, Tim. None of that is ever going to happen again. You’re safe. And I’m going to make sure you’re safe for the rest of your life.” 

Tim sighed, finally feeling the last tension he’d been carrying around since he was rescued finally fade away even if the memories remained. He was home. He was where he belonged. And he knew he’d never let it get taken from him.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of this fic! Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through this and I loved having the chance to get to fix Tim's death in the comics. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone for reading!
> 
> <3 MOLIM

Tim blinked his eyes open and arched his back to stretch out his stiff muscles. The arms around his waist tightened and pulled him closer. Tim chuckled lightly as a smile and a kiss pressed into his neck. 

“No, don’t get up yet,” Jason mumbled into his skin. 

Tim turned in Jason’s hold and wrapped his arms around Jason’s shoulders. “We should get to the Cave and get the updates Bruce is sure to have. You know he probably hasn’t even slept yet after going through all the debriefs and the new intel all of you picked up.” 

“It can wait,” Jason said, pouting. 

Tim pressed a kiss to Jason’s lips. “It’s waited long enough.” 

Jason sighed. “You never were one to stay in one place for long,” he muttered. 

Tim smiled. “Staying in one place is boring. Besides, I’ve had enough of that to last me a lifetime.”

Jason rolled over so Tim was on his back and he was hovering over him. “Then I guess we better get going.” 

He ducked his head for one last kiss before bounding out of bed to change. Tim smiled up at the ceiling, feeling happy and content before he hurried after Jason. 

~~

Their motorcycle roared into the Cave, sound echoing off the stone around them. They pulled to a stop near the Batmobile and Jason killed the engine. Tim climbed off from behind him and walked over to the Computer where Bruce was seated. There was a cup of coffee at his elbow and he was still wearing his uniform, minus the cowl. 

“Busy night?” Tim asked as Jason came up behind him. 

Bruce hummed. “We had a lot of information to go through and we’re still not completely done sifting through all of the holdings they had, but we know that we’ve shut down any threat they might’ve had over us.” 

“So it’s over?” Jason asked. 

“It’s over,” Bruce confirmed, glancing over his shoulder at them. “There’s nothing left of them and we’ve gotten all of their actors and members in custody. Couple that with the confiscation of their files and information, we have nothing else to worry about. On the international field, they’re dead.” 

A strange mixture of relief and ease washed through Tim. He’d known the night before that it was done and any threat that might still exist would be minimal and probably wouldn’t be able to offer harm to him or his family, but knowing for certain helped to put him at ease. 

“However,” Bruce continued, “even though we’ve taken down one operation, there’s always another to fill the space.” 

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Jason asked. 

“There’s a new threat. This time in South America. It’s a cover mission.” 

“Deep cover?” Tim asked. 

Bruce shook his head. “No. The timeline would probably extend over at least a week but more likely will take the majority of a month. Interested?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. 

Jason and Tim shared a look before they both grinned. Tim squared his shoulders as he looked back at Bruce. 

“Of course we are,” Tim said. 

Jason dropped an arm around Tim’s shoulders. “Brief us and we can set off ASAP.” 

Bruce turned back to his computer and pulled up another series of files. Tim looked over the images and videos in front of him. He’d made a point earlier when he said staying in one place too long was boring. He needed to move forward. Thrived on it. And with Jason by his side, he knew he was never going to be stuck again.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: my-one-love-is-music.tumblr.com
> 
> Twitter: twitter.com/m_o_l_i_m


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